Re: [Membership] The People's Republic of ICANN?

[Greg Skinner <gds@best.com>]

rus@neteze.com (Rus Postel) wrote:

>i do not qualify for any of the categories of membership suggested,
>yet i use the internet and believe i have a right to participate in
>democratic decision making.

Good point.  I believe every Internet user should have the right to
participate in the decision making process.

>aren't basic end users entitled to have a say in issues effecting how
>the technologies we use are governed? admittedly this is somewhat
>revolutionary, and it should be as it is clear that other models of
>governance/regulation that are removed from popular participation (as
>the FCC in the US, example) develop eventually to serve industry with
>few crumbs thrown to users, who are nevertheless paying for the
>service.

Actually, the FCC makes proposed rulings available for public review
and comment.  Also, FCC licensees that (in princple) serve the public
interest, such as radio and TV stations, are required to make their
public files (usually broadcast logs) available for public review.
The public has the right to file license challenges against licensees
they do not feel are acting in the public interest.  The public may
also challenge a licensee at its renewal time.

However, most of the public *do not* exercise these rights, for
various reasons.  I think the public should be encouraged to do so,
but if the public doesn't feel like doing so, they won't.  The
situation is usually that people who are unhappy with what some
particular licensee is doing listen or watch the broadcasts of some
other licensee.

>in fact, the technical creators historically are removed from
>decisionmaking, ultimately limited to serving industry thru
>innovation.

I'm not sure what you mean here.  Technical creators have involved
themselves in telecommunications policy when they felt compelled to be
involved.  For example, Edwin Armstrong was not only a pioneer of the
technology of FM broadcasting, he was very involved in the proceedings
of establishing the FM broadcast band.

However, I wish to reaffirm that end users should be allowed to
participate in the process if they wish.

--gregbo