[arin-ppml] History Lesson (was: DRAFT POLICY ARIN-2011-1: GLOBALLY COORDINATED TRANSFER POLICY (Legacy space))

[Milton L Mueller]

> Hence my question...  what venue is appropriate for discussion
> on evolving Internet-wide principles that help keep the Internet
> running?  It certainly doesn't have to be IETF, or ARIN, or any
> other particular forum, but it should be an venue which allows
> open and transparent participation by all who are interested.

It would be nice (he said wistfully) if people turned to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for this sort of thing. It would be nicer if the people who operate IGF actually understood enough about what really drives global Internet governance to know how to facilitate this (they don't), and stopped deluding themselves with the fantasy that they are going to solve world hunger, eliminate all inequality and put smart phones and broadband infrastructure in 9 billion hands through the issuance of "development" rhetoric. It would be even nicer still if the "Internet technical community" who participate in IGF viewed it as such a resource, rather than as a leftover from WSIS that needs to be carefully contained and neutered, and stopped being frightened by an IGF mouse that is allowed to squeak out some recommendations, so that it could fulfill the needed function. 

So if IGF can't do it, the default is ICANN, with participation of course of IETF as well as ISPs (who are surprisingly absent from that arena) and RIRs and their members. I agree with whoever it was who said on this list that IETF is not the right venue, as we are dealing primarily with policy, economic and governance issues not exclusively technical ones, although of course technical expertise is needed.

If ICANN can't do it properly, the only other real alternative is for NTIA to occupy once again the increasingly uncomfortable role of self-appointed global Internet czar and use its IANA leverage to impose a solution on the warring parties (and if that happens no doubt we will soon learn that trademark protection and LEA access to personally identifiable Whois data have suddenly become key "Internet-wide principles").

--MM
________________________________________
From: arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net [arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net] On Behalf Of John Curran [jcurran at arin.net]
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:16 AM
To: Jeffrey I. Schiller
Cc: ARIN-PPML List
Subject: Re: [arin-ppml] History Lesson (was: DRAFT POLICY ARIN-2011-1: GLOBALLY COORDINATED TRANSFER POLICY (Legacy space))

On Apr 13, 2011, at 8:54 AM, Jeffrey I. Schiller wrote:
>
> The IETF can discuss this, or ARIN, whichever venue the community
> chooses. The catch is that as long as the discussion involves the
> actions of a consensual cooperating community there isn't a
> problem.



> What the future holds is anyone's guess. The Internet was a wonderful
> thing in its early years in part because it was governed and operated
> by a dedicated cadre of people who really believed in "doing the right
> thing" in an altruistic way. But today, the real world, with all of
> its inequities, grit and selfish actors, is upon us. I hope that
> sanity prevails...

One can hope.

/John

John Curran
President and CEO
ARIN

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