Today, the ICANN At Large Study Committee is holding a meeting in Silicon Valley. It’s part of what Esther Dyson, a committee member, calls a genuine attempt on the part of the organization to figure out how best to involve the public in the governance process at ICANN, an organization that has enormous power over the Internet’s domain-name systems and yet is almost unknown.
I’ve been asked to moderate two panels where non-ICANN-connected people will be speaking on ways to truly get public participation. But a major purpose of the sessions, according to the organizers, is to hear from you.
Regular readers of this column know that I’ve been extremely skeptical about ICANN’s intentions, much less its actual record. I consider the organization a top-down and frequently unaccountable group that has moved much too slowly to open the system. In the end, how ICANN deals with its at-large membership, and the public’s representation on a board that has often been more heavy-handed than attentive to the public interest, will tell a great deal about the future of Internet governance.
I haven’t written off ICANN as a potentially worthwhile organization, either. I’ll be listening as well as moderating, and then watching to see if ICANN pays attention.
If you’re interested in attending, the sessions will be held today, August 13, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the VeriSign conference center, 487 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, CA.
For more information and a speaker sign-up form, click here.