FYI
Richard J. Sexton
To: com-...@psi.com, telec...@relay.doit.wisc.edu, ie...@ietf.org,
CYBERTE...@LISTSERV.AOL.COM, domain...@open-rsc.org,
DOMAIN...@lists.internic.net
From: Gordon Cook <co...@cookreport.com>
Subject: Why do Don Heath and ISOC Risk Destruction of Internet's Chances
for Self Regulation?
Sender: owner-dom...@open-rsc.org
Reply-To: domain...@open-rsc.org
I am sitting here in St Petersburg Russia absolutely flabergasted at
statements that indicate that Don Heath of ISOC is indicating that ISOC and
Jon Postel were ommitted from the list of invitees to the Internet
consititutional convention. (Some of the press reports on which I base
this conclusion are listed at the end of this post.)
Furthermore, at 6pm on June 11 (noon june 11 EST) Robert Shaw writes a
screed to the domain policy list that indicates that Tony Rutkowski, the
well known opponent of ISOC, POSTEL, IHAC, POC etc has been putting the
whole consitutional convention together in an effort to lock out and
isolate and invite only after the fact this very faction.
Shaw concludes: Does this all sound a little cooked up? You bet. Does this
sound like "as
neutral and inclusive a setting as possible for stakeholders of disparate
views" as claimed on the web site?
>From information I have I conclude that inviations to attend this
conference began going out on June 9th. I have the FULL TEXT of the
invitation which was NOT sent to me by its author, therefore I KNOW that at
16:39:05 -400 EST Don Heath, and Jon postel, and FOUR other key backers of
ISOC and critics of NSI were invited to attend this meeting. And YET Heath
and Shaw begin to attack the meeting and its motives, indicating that they
were left out as invitees, and start talking to the press in an effort to
discredit the meeting and destroy its chances for success. They do this
when Heath and his key cohorts were thoroughly appraised of the intent of
the meeting, and the history of its origins.
I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THAT THEY ARE DETERMINED TO DESTROY ANY HOPE OF
INTERNET INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION IF IT IS NOT DONE ON THEIR TERMS.
They will claim that they were not included in the planning of the meeting
which included Becky Burr someone who is in frequent contact with Jon
Postel and has been consistently freindly to their interests. If Becky
failed to inform them DURING THE EARLY DISCUSSION STAGES, and i wonder if
she did, then I can only conclude that she did so from a fear that they
would act to destroy the chances of the plan's survival.
I call on them to:
1. publish the full text of their invitation of june 9th.
2. and to then explain why rather than participate in this
workshop, they are determined to
destroy its chances for success.
3. if they claim some other motive than this I invite them to
explain what it is.
4. particpate in the workshop.
I call on ISOC trustees to realize that Heaths "leadership" is detremental
to ISOC and to begin action to remove him as promptly as possible.
In particular I call on Vint Cerf to make his own judgement on HEATH and
the effect on a viable future for ISOC if its Board endorses his continued
destructive leaedrship.
IF THIS MEETING FAILS, THE US GOV'T WILL STEP IN AGAIN. HEATH HAS TO
UNDERSTAND THAT. THE ISOC TRUSTEES HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS. IF THIS
HAPPENS WE WILL ALL LOSE. HEATH HAS PAINTED HIMSELF INTO A CORNER. IT IS
TIME FOR THE ISOC TRUSTEES TO SHOW THE REST OF US WHETHER THEY ENDORSE
HEATH'S TACTICS.
PLEASE NOTE: I will be on net a limited amount of time from now until I fly
from moscow to new york on tuesday june 16.... my opportunity to respond
to reaction to this thread will be limited between now and June 18.
========================================================================
HERE ARE THE press reports on which - comparing the text of his invitation
to what Heath and Shaw are saying in public -- I base my condemnation :
However, a few key players were missing from the list of participants, and
some of those spoke out yesterday at what one called "an attempted coup."
Don Heath, the president and chief executive of the Internet Society
(ISOC), which first promoted similar ideas to those now endorsed by the
government more than two years ago, called the group a "fractious group of
people."
ISOC's Heath said the group's "ability to gain much support would be
unlikely and weak." Heath echoed what we have been hearing from most people
outside the group when he said: "Any efforts to create such an organization
that isn't anchored around Jon Postel isn't likely to succeed."
Heath is also suspicious of the motives of those involved, but he believes
that anyone trying to get a piece of the domain name registration pie would
be mistaken for believing that there is a lot of money to made from it. The
service will just be seen as a commodity once competition is introduced, he
says. Heath concludes that this kind of group is "not doing the internet
any good."
Don Heath, the president and chief executive of the Internet Society
accused NSI and its parent company, Science Applications International Corp
(SAIC) of being behind the whole thing, when we spoke to him two days ago.
And when word of the meeting finally reached the various internet mailing
lists late yesterday morning, there were plenty of dissenting voices as
well as a movement emerging to organize a rival meeting in California, or
perhaps within the next meeting of the IETF in Chicago in August.
--
Richard Sexton 28...@mbz.org Bannockburn, Ontario, Canada
1970 280SE, 1972 280SE http://www.mbz.org