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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Thanks for the clarification, V. A few comments below
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">space is not an issue in Baku (commonly main argument for dropping some proposals)<span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">[Milton L Mueller] Didn’t know that. That is good, it increases the viability of liberal approaches.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">However, I still believe that people (or organizations) who submit more than 3 proposals should simply be reduced to a maximum, which
should probably be 2 or at worst 3. Let those organizations themselves decide which ones are really the top priority. I have been involved in countless IGF workshops and I know about as much about various aspects of IG as anyone, and I do not believe that
any individual or organization can properly organize and run more than 2 IGF workshops if a high quality standard is maintained.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Finally, some think that selection can also serve as an excuse for possible "misuse" by some stakeholders to filter out "problematic" workshops
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">[Milton L Mueller] Yes, this is always in my mind as well. As soon as selection exists there is the possibility for discrimination
according to what some consider undesirable content rather than low quality. That is another reason why a limit on multiple submissions is a good selection approach – it is content neutral and allows the proposers to trim the fat rather than the MAG.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">Still, I would hope that the MAG is diverse enough, and respectful of the opinions of its various members, that discriminatory or
censorial selections would not be possible. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Regarding the merger, it was decided that MAG will not impose merging sessions, but only recommend. The organisers may then decide.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:#1F497D">[Milton L Mueller] Good.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
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