News

Two NewsWireless contributors aim to reform ICANN board

by Guy J Kewney | posted on 28 July 2006

Regular NewsWireless columnist Wendy M Grossman has joined occasional contributor Kieren McCarthy in throwing a hat into the ICANN board elections. Both are, naturally, fed up with the timidity and secrecy of the way the Internet Governors operate.

McCarthy announced his candidature two weeks ago, and has been campaigning on the grounds that (as he told NewsWireless) "There are too many secret decisions taken by lawyers, which are just wrong, and timid." And, as he said in his blog: "My main point [is] that ICANN needs to open itself up if it hopes to become the organisation it is capable of becoming."

Grossman's column today announces her determination to fix the same faults: "ICANN's job is nominally to provide technical oversight of naming and addressing, but it is impossible to consider these issues without making what is essentially public policy."

Net users and consumers, says Grossman, are not represented.

There may be other non-lawyer and non-programmer applicants, says McCarthy. "I’ve created a page on ICANNWiki for NomCom applicants at www.icannwiki.org/Nomcom-applicants, which will allow people simple and easy control over whether to add their name and how to add their name. That way there doesn't have to be any awkward associations between people. So if you are running for one of the seven positions, do please check it out."

McCarthy urged the Editor of NewsWireless to take advantage of his recent high-profile exposure on BBC News 24 to apply. This is, officially, definitely not going to happen.

Apart from family duties that are making frequent long-distance flights impossible, the Editor wishes it to be known that he has his hands full with the new e-Page initiative, currently hosted at AFAICS Research Limited.

Grossman said: "There are seven slots open, and Kieren and I are forming a syndicate. Or perhaps I mean a cabal. Or maybe a lobby. We want to see ICANN change."

Tags: ICANN, ICANN Board, Wendy Grossman, net.wars, Kieren McCarthy