Re: Representation on PAB

From: Connolly (jawz@cybersharque.com)
Date: Fri Feb 06 1998 - 17:28:15 PST


Jim Dixon wrote:

{SNIP}

> If the Chief Executive of ISPA UK, for example, were appropriately
> empowered by a number of ISPA UK members, he could sign the gTLD MOU
> on
> behalf of each. Under UK law as I understand it, ISPA itself could be
>
> so empowered, and would be the "person" signing the gTLD MOU, although
>
> the human being signing would in that case again be the Chief
> Executive.
>
> If you look more carefully at what I wrote to the PAB, you will find
> that
>
> * at no time did I suggest that EuroISPA would sign the gTLD MOU
>
> * neither did I suggest that ISPA UK or any other EuroISPA
> member would become a signatory
>
> I did say that we would prefer that our member associations sign ON
> BEHALF OF their members, in which case our members' members would be
> the actual signatories.
>
> If this is incomprehensible, run it by a lawyer.
> --
> Jim Dixon VBCnet GB Ltd http://www.vbc.net
> tel +44 117 929 1316 fax +44 117 927 2015

   Honest . . . I'm not just filtering messages for references to
lawyers or other subhumans :-)

If the agent is duly authorized, then it would be possible for that same
agent to sign on behalf of multiple signatories. That's good. That's
wonderful. The more, the merrier. We still have the rule of one PERSON
one VOTE. This serves as a built-in filter against one point of view
overwhelming PAB.

Now, if I were truly evil, I could think of a variety of ways to game
the system and garner great scads of votes for myself. Oh, shucks . . .
I must be evil because I have indeed thought of them, even though I
would never employ such methods :-)

These concerns are the reason why, some time ago, I argued that PAB's
rough consensus methods were at odds with a voting mechanism. Consensus
is not susceptible of being hijacked by a worldview that is not
consistent with the Internet Community. If we just count votes, what's
to stop Jeff Williams' zillions of employees from signing the MoU on
behalf of the Whatsis Association-sub 1 through sub-zillion? Methinks
what stops that from happening is that it does not count for jack in a
rough consensus mode.

Just the same . . . I'm going on a campaign to get as many organizations
as possible to sign the gTLD-MoU, starting with the membership of the
NYC Chapter of ISOC. Any number can engage in this game.

Perplexedly (but glad to have something to think about besides Ira
Magaziner :-)

Kevin J. Connolly



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