Submitted by namdhapha on Wed, 05/03/2008 - 8:38pm.

ICANN AT-LARGE NEWSLETTER

Date: 
1 May, 2006

In this
issue:

  • Action: THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? — If you
    are interested in helping to lead ICANN (or know someone who is) now
    is the time to apply for a position on ICANN's Board, the ALAC, or
    a Supporting Organizations' Council. Recommendations and
    statements of interest are being sought by ICANN's Nominating
    Committee. More information and application forms are available at
    <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-18apr06.htm>.

  • Action: CAN
    REGISTRY POLICIES & CONTRACTS BENEFIT USERS?     — Of course
    they can. But to what degree do they? The GNSO Council is
    seeking public comments on developing policies on several issues
    that apply to generic top level domains (gTLDs) (eg. price
    controls), rather than treating them as matters to negotiate with
    each Registry separately on a contract by contract basis. The ALAC
    is considering all this in terms of users' interests and welcomes
    your input. Public comments are needed by 30 April. More
    information is posted at
    <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-16mar06.htm
    >.

  • Information:
    CHECK-OUT WWW.ICANNALAC.ORG — Members of the ALAC created
    a new website -- www.icannalac.org -- for the At-Large community. It
    is intended to help inform and encourage a dialogue among members of
    ICANN's At-Large community about domain name system issues that
    affect the world's Internet users. At-Large community members are
    encouraged to register and share thoughts, announcements, news and
    commentary relating to ICANN and the interests of individual
    Internet users.

  • Information:
    SOMETHING'S MISSING IN THE DNS — A majority of the
    world's Internet users can't have a domain name in their own
    language (using non-Latin scripts). ICANN established guidelines
    for the introduction of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) on the
    second level of the DNS (domain name system) last year, and now the
    ICANN President's Advisory Committee on IDNs. has proposed a
    timetable leading to the technical testing of IDNs in top level
    domains (the TLD level). More information is posted at
    <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-14mar06.htm
    >.
    The ALAC's latest IDN statement is posted at
    <http://icann.org/meetings/wellington/alac-idn-statement-27mar06.htm
    >.

  • Information:
    IF YOU MISSED THE AT-LARGE FORUMS ON NEW TLDs & IDNs, CATCH
    THEM ON-LINE     — At the recent Asia-Pacific ICANN meeting in
    Wellington, the ALAC sponsored a forum on how to launch a new top
    level domain selection process that enhances user and registrant
    choice worldwide, and a workshop to educate and inform users on
    implementing internationalized domain names (IDNs) so the world's
    non-English speaking communities can use domain names in their own
    language. An Asia-Pacific At-Large Organizing meeting and ALAC
    meetings also were held in Wellington. For those who couldn't
    make it to New Zealand, audio files and wiki notes have been posted
    by attendees (see links below). It's almost like being there.

  • Information:
    AT-LARGE NOW EXTRA-LARGE     —
    At-Large continues to grow, welcoming its newest user groups:
    Privaterra, based in Canada; Coalition Against
    Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, based in the USA; Internet Society
    Hong Kong, based in P.R. China; Internet Society Quebec, based in
    Canada; and CAUCE Canada. Thirty-eight organizations have registered
    as "At-Large Structures" and applications are pending from 14
    more groups worldwide that want to involve individual Internet users
    in ICANN. Join a group or form a new one. Information is posted at
    <http://alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-23may05.htm
    >.

  • Information:
    NEW ALAC CHAIR:     At the ICANN Wellington meeting, ALAC member
    Annette Muehlberg took over for the ALAC's founding Chair,
    Vittorio Bertola. The ALAC joins the ICANN community in thanking
    Vittorio for his dedicated leadership and vision in launching and
    leading the ALAC and the growing network of At-Large user groups.

  • Dates to
    Watch:

  • Action: THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? — If you
    are interested in helping to lead ICANN (or know someone who is) now
    is the time to apply for a position on ICANN's Board, the ALAC, or
    a Supporting Organizations' Council. Recommendations and
    statements of interest are being sought by ICANN's Nominating
    Committee. More information and application forms are available at
    <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-18apr06.htm>.

Statements of interest for the following positions are being
accepted:

  • Three members of the ICANN Board of Directors

  • One member of the
    Council of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)

  • One member of the
    Council of the Country-Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)

  • Two members of
    the At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)

ICANN's Nominating Committee will be appointing individuals to
these positions this Fall. The Committee, as always, includes five
delegates from At-Large (one from each geographic region; see
<http://alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-08feb06.htm>).
It is an independent committee responsible for selecting a majority
of the members of ICANN's Board and other positions within ICANN.
The Nominating Committee states that individuals it selects "will
have a unique opportunity to work with accomplished colleagues from
around the globe, address the Internet's intriguing technical
coordination problems and policy development challenges with diverse
functional, cultural, and geographic dimensions, and gain valuable
insights and experience from working across boundaries of knowledge,
responsibility and perspective. Additionally, those selected will
gain the satisfaction of making a valuable public service
contribution." More information on the positions to be filled is
posted at
<http://www.icann.org/committees/nom-comm/formal-call-2006.html>.

  • Action: CAN REGISTRY POLICIES & CONTRACTS BENEFIT USERS?
    — Of course they can. But to what degree do they? The GNSO
    Council is seeking public comments on developing policies on several
    issues that apply to generic top level domains (gTLDs) (eg. price
    controls), rather than treating them as matters to negotiate with
    each Registry separately on a contract by contract basis. The ALAC
    is considering all this in terms of users' interests and welcomes
    your input. Public comments are needed by 30 April. More
    information is posted at
    <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-16mar06.htm>.

On 2 March 2006, the GNSO Council launched a policy development
process (PDP) on "Policies for contractual conditions for existing
gTLDs." It arose out of the Council's consideration of the .NET
and .COM agreements, as well as issues surrounding the introduction
of new gTLDs. The overall goal of this policy development process is
"to determine what policies are appropriate for the future of gTLDs
within the context of ICANN's mission and core values, that relate to
the issues identified in the specific terms of reference below."
The Council is specifically seeking public comments related to:

  1. Registry agreement renewal

  2. Relationship
    between registry agreements and consensus policies

  3. Policy for price
    controls for registry services

  4. ICANN fees

  5. Uses of registry
    data

  6. Investments in
    development and infrastructure

Please submit comments to the Council at
<gtld-policies-tor@icann.org> and make sure you share your
views with the At-Large community at our new website
<http://www.atlarge.icann.org/> so we know what your think.

  • Information:
    CHECK-OUT http://www.atlarge.icann.org/ — Members of the ALAC created
    a new website -- http://www.atlarge.icann.org/ -- for the At-Large community. It
    is intended to help inform and encourage a dialogue among members of
    ICANN's At-Large community about domain name system issues that
    affect the world's Internet users. At-Large community members are
    encouraged to register and share thoughts, announcements, news and
    commentary relating to ICANN and the interests of individual
    Internet users.

The
new website is run by the members of the ALAC, for the use and
benefit of you, the users. It is not run by ICANN and is independent
of <www.icann.org>. It features news and commentary on hot
topics, online discussions organized by issues, photos, newsletters,
and more.

  • Information:
    SOMETHING'S MISSING IN THE DNS — A majority of the
    world's Internet users can't have a domain name in their own
    language (using non-Latin scripts). ICANN established guidelines
    for the introduction of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) on the
    second level of the DNS (domain name system) last year, and now the
    ICANN President's Advisory Committee on IDNs. has proposed a
    timetable leading to the technical testing of IDNs in top level
    domains (the TLD level). More information is posted at
    <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-14mar06.htm>.
    The ALAC's latest IDN statement is posted at
    <http://icann.org/meetings/wellington/alac-idn-statement-27mar06.htm>.

The President's Advisory Committee on IDNs is preparing a proposal
for a technical test of internationalized top level domain labels.
Representatives from all regions of the world are taking part in the
discussion of the technical test, which will include two approaches
to the insertion of IDN records into the root zone of the DNS.
According to ICANN, "the test procedure will ensure that enabling
multiple languages at the top level will not adversely affect users.
It will also establish the technical methods that are available for
such deployment and will enable ICANN's policy development bodies to
move forward with their ongoing work with regard to policy decisions
essential to a production environment in which users will be able to
access the Internet using their local languages."

The ALAC recently held an IDN Workshop for users at the ICANN meeting
in Wellington, and issued an IDN statement outlining key principles
to guide IDN implementation. See
<
http://icann.org/meetings/wellington/agenda-idn-28mar06.htm>
and
<http://icann.org/meetings/wellington/alac-idn-statement-27mar06.htm>
for more information. Share your views, questions, and suggestions
on IDNs at our new website <www.icannalac.org>.

  • Information:
    IF YOU MISSED THE AT-LARGE FORUMS ON NEW TLDs & IDNs, CATCH
    THEM ON-LINE     — At the recent Asia-Pacific ICANN meeting in
    Wellington, the ALAC sponsored a forum on how to launch a new top
    level domain selection process that enhances user and registrant
    choice worldwide, and a workshop to educate and inform users on
    implementing internationalized domain names (IDNs) so the world's
    non-English speaking communities can use domain names in their own
    language. An Asia-Pacific At-Large Organizing meeting and ALAC
    meetings also were held in Wellington. For those who couldn't
    make it to New Zealand, audio files and wiki notes have been posted
    by attendees. It's almost like being there.

(Note:
the notes and audio files were not created by ICANN and are not
posted on ICANN's website).

-
At-Large New TLDs forum: <http://icannwiki.org/IUF_2006_03_26>

-
At-Large IDN Workshop: (audience notes)
<http://icannwiki.org/IUW_2006_03_28>; (audio file)
<http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/27/1845496.html#attachments>;
(agenda and slides)
<http://icann.org/meetings/wellington/agenda-idn-28mar06.htm>)

-
Other sessions: (links to audience notes)
<http://icannwiki.org/Wellington_Schedule_%26_Session_Notes>

After you've had a chance
to review this wealth of information, don't forget to share your
thoughts with the At-Large community and the ALAC at our new website
<http://www.atlarge.icann.org/>.

  • Information:
    AT-LARGE NOW EXTRA-LARGE —
    At-Large continues to grow, welcoming its newest user groups:
    Privaterra, based in Canada;     Coalition Against
    Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, based in the USA; Internet Society
    Hong Kong, based in P.R. China; Internet Society Quebec, based in
    Canada; and CAUCE Canada. Thirty-eight organizations have registered
    as "At-Large Structures" and applications are pending from 14
    more groups worldwide that want to involve individual Internet users
    in ICANN. Join a group or form a new one. Information is posted at
    <http://alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-23may05.htm>.

  • Information:
    NEW ALAC CHAIR:     At the ICANN Wellington meeting, ALAC member
    Annette Muehlberg took over for the ALAC's founding Chair,
    Vittorio Bertola. The ALAC joins the ICANN community in thanking
    Vittorio for his dedicated leadership and vision in launching and
    leading the ALAC and the growing network of At-Large user groups.

The
Interim At-Large Advisory Committee

alac@icann.org

www.icannalac.org

If a group you are involved with wants to influence decisions
that shape the Internet, register as an "At-Large Structure"
and participate in ICANN decisions critical to the Internet's end
users. "At-Large Structure" registration is free, easy, and done
via email. Groups interested participating in ICANN At-Large are
encouraged to send an email to <als@alac.icann.org> or get more
information and an application online <http://www.atlarge.icann.org/en/applications>.