Image Online Design on ICANN

[Jay Fenello <Jay@Iperdome.com>]

Others wishing to make *their* position
on ICANN part of the public record may
contact Fenello.com for assistance.

FYI:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-28 
-1999/0001061640

Image Online Design Issues Statement on ICANN

SAN LUIS OBISPO, October 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Image Online Design, Inc.
<www.webtld.com>, "The .Web Internet Domain Registry(tm)", the longest
standing prospective registry for a new Top Level Domain, today responded to
comments made by ICANN Board members on the Harvard Law School's IS99 class
list <news://cyber.law.harvard.edu/IS99-names>.

IODesign takes exception to recent comments from Mike Roberts, president of
ICANN, when he admitted that competitive TLDs will not be considered by the
ICANN board.  This is in direct violation of the ICANN by-laws, and in direct
opposition to the intent of the White Paper.  [His admission caused Iperdome,
another prospective registry, to suspend operations.]

IODesign also takes exception to recent comments from Joe Sims, corporate
counsel to ICANN, who said "the White Paper reflected the fact that the vast
majority of those that commented on the Green Paper completely rejected its
underlying concepts."  While the White Paper deferred some decisions to the
Internet community, it did not bless the collectivist policies of the previous
proposal (the gTLD-MoU), which was in fact rejected by the U.S. Government via
the Green Paper.

IODesign's strongest objections, however, were in response to the continuing
attempts by the ICANN leadership to discredit and marginalize their critics.
This can be seen in responses to respected academics like Michael Froomkin,
Milton Mueller, and Jonathan Weinberg.  It can also be seen in ICANN's refusal
to justify their most egregious decisions, decisions that were made in direct
contradiction to the public comments received, decisions like:
   -  expediting a Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy, one that
      allows for the easy reassignment of domain names
   -  registrar guidelines that included a $1 domain name tax
   -  a gerrymandered DNSO without individual participation
   -  removing accountability from the At-Large membership
   -  extending their own reign for another year.

Despite these numerous process violations and inconsistent actions by the
ICANN board, IODesign will continue to participate in good faith in the name
space expansion process, and to monitor and report on the actions of Working
Group C of the DNSO.

ICANN is the non-profit corporation selected by the Commerce Department to
inherit the administration of Internet resources.  It has remained under a
cloud of suspicion ever since it was formed via a secret process, one that
enthroned an unelected board, one that has pursued an agenda synchronous with
the gTLD-MoU which preceded it.

IODesign has been involved in the debate since 1995, the year before the IANA
gave them the go-ahead for the .WEB(tm) TLD.  Subsequently, IODesign has
participated in good faith through the various community based efforts to
expand the name space, including the IAHC process, and the U.S. Government's
RFC, Green and White Paper processes.

CONTACT:  John Frangie
           www.iodesign.com
           john@iodesign.com

SOURCE:   Fenello.com, Inc.
           www.fenello.com
           770-392-9480

+++


Respectfully,

Jay Fenello,
New Media Relations
------------------------------------
http://www.fenello.com  770-392-9480