-----Original Message-----
From: igovap-admin(_at_)lists(_dot_)apdip(_dot_)net
[mailto:igovap-admin(_at_)lists(_dot_)apdip(_dot_)net]
On Behalf Of Franck Martin
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 10:58 AM
To: xie wei; igovap(_at_)lists(_dot_)apdip(_dot_)net; ietf(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Subject: Re: [IGOVAP]Re:another discussion about management of root
server
Why so many people are interested in DNS governance?
Because they hardly know how it works and assume a lot of things which
are wrong!
Franck is at least partly right: there is interest (concern?) over the
DNS because they do not fully understand how it works. And in a way,
it's a very human reaction.
1. There is some element of control over the Internet through the
DNS. An entire country's ccTLD can be turned off at source. It's
goodnight Internet.
2. The language used in the discourse is that the domain names are a
resource. There was a Wired story back at height of the boom that for
the dotcom tld, every single noun in the English dictionary was used
minus perhaps a dozen or even fewer. Governments understand resource. It
is limited (the Wired story proves it) and whoever has more of it wins.
Therefore resource needs to be shared, parcelled out, divided equitably,
etc.
3. The US government took the discussion of domain names from the
Internet White Paper Forum (back in the last century) and put that in
the hands of ICANN. And then ICANN became incorporated in the USA. Ok,
here's what it looks like to someone who does not fully understand the
matter: imagine Caveman Grog among cavemen. Grog's neighbour Drog is
seen one day carrying a rock into his (nicer) cave. The rock never ever
leaves the cave after that. If you were Grog, what would you think of
the rock? It's an imperfect analogy (hence the use of groggy names) but
you get the idea: when things appear hidden or scarce, they take on an
aura of mystery.
4. ICANN screwed up. Plain and simple. Milton Mueller's excellent if
somewhat dry book says it. If ICANN had allayed earlier suspicion,
things would be far different.
I take also the opportunity to add something else on another subject:
ICANN, IETF, APNIC and other meetings are really easy to attend, they
are video casted, audio casted and even text casted in chat/forum like
channels. You can easily participate from the confort of your home. I
did it a couple of times. This is not true with any of the WSIS
related
meeting, where you need to sit in the room, with the proper
accreditation. I think in some sessions, non-representatives of
governments were asked to leave the room.
Regards,
Peng Hwa
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