Re: [Membership] Comments

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com>]

James and all,

James Seng wrote:

> I refer to:
>
> --- CUT HERE ---
> 4.  Online registration procedures should be favored, however reasonable
> efforts should be made to authenticate the identity of applicants.  The
> suggested procedure for registration is as follows: an online form is
> filled out by the applicant who may thereafter be required to supply
> physical proof of existence.
>
> ICANN will respond by postal mail sending the applicant a membership
> identification code to use for voting and other transactions.  An applicant
> shall provide the following data in the application:
>
> o name
> o physical mail address
> o e-mail contact (preferably an individual account)
> o an organization shall also provide the name of its voting representative,
>   that representative's e-mail address, and evidence of legal identity
> --- CUT HERE ---
>
> I believe there are two camps of thoughts with the respect of membership.
> 1. you trust people are honest and eliminate those who are found to be fake
> 2. you try your best to authenticate them as best as you can
>
> As it stands, I am a supporter for (2) as the integrity of the at-large
> membership is quite important (9 directors?) and consider at-large members
> have 1-1 voting rights. Thus, I believe the requirements for authentication
> should be more strict.
>
> For instance, it is pretty easy for me to duplicate a dozens of email
> accounts on various machines, registered a dozen of P.O box as my physical
> address and hey, i got a dozen of votes under my control.

  With PKI authentication methods available today this sort of concern
can be severely curtailed as has been mentioned by myself and a
couple of others before on this mailing list.  Review archives for those
posts.  In addition I will offer this recent event news item as further
documentation  for PKI.  The use of digital signatures would nearly
eliminate this concern.
http://www.computerworld.com/home/news.nsf/CWFlash/9904224digsig

>
>
> Hence, I believe that the evidence of legal identity should be extended to
> individual membership and not just organization. Afterall, if ICANN is
> going thru the process of doing postal authentication, it might as well
> request that the some forms of legal identity (an verified photocopied will
> do) be send as proof of existence.

  Again digital signatures such as the article that I referenced above should
and can be sued for this purpose for individuals and is excepted globally
currently

>
>
> Of course, such identity can be faked too but that is definately more
> easily verifiable than a simple postal address.

True, and as such postal addresses should not be used.  In addition
many postal addresses outside of the US would be difficult if not
impossible to verify.  China comes to mind here.

>
>
> -James Seng

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
Contact Number:  972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208