Important News from Don Telage about ARIN

[Eric Weisberg]

Gordon,

Thanks for the very interesting report.  However, I fear it will have
the opposite effect on your readers than you intended.  
Let me highlight some examples:

Gordon Cook wrote:

> (1.) The three
> CURRENT members of the ARIN board are himself, Kim Hubbard, and Phil
> Sbarbaro, outside legal counsel to NSI. 

Unsophisticatd readers will conclude that Don Telage IS the ARIN board
for now.  

> I had found out that article 8 of the By-laws said
> that within one year of the date of the incorporation the board was
> obligated to have procedures in place for the immediate election of the
> advisory council members by the ARIN membership - thus letting the air
out
> of the argument that the ARIN board would be a self perpetuating
monopoly.

This will just make people ask questions.  What did it say til now? 
What objectionable features are being left in place?  Why don't the
members elect the advisory council from the beginning?  Why not devise
the new procedures in one, two or three months?  Why aren't the members
electing the board?

> But I complained that the by-laws were not yet on the web site. Why not?
> Because they are still being revised. I replied that, in view of the
> situation, if ARIN is to have a chance at being successful, it would sure
> as heck help to get the current version up there with a statement that
> there might be subsequent revisions.

For many readers, this statement probably
confirms the allegation that Telage, alone, is making the basic
decisions rather than seeking rough concensuson on how
the Internet community should organize itself to distribute community
resources.
  
You mention having suggested the need to report his decisions soon after 
they are made and post them on the website.  It may have been a mistake
to 
report that Telage did not reply to your suggestion.  I am not sure why
you related  this if he did not agree to do it.  

This particular comment probably also left the recipients of your
rebuttal wondering "Did Gordon ask Telage to let the community discuss
the by-laws and the
proposed revisions before they become final?  What did Telage say about
that?"

Please continue to keep us informed of what you learn on all this. 


Eric Weisberg, Gen. Counsel
Internet Texoma, Inc.
The ISP which DIDN'T