[governance] Revised version of letter to IGF re Web site

[Nyangkwe Agien Aaron]

Hi all

I endorse the letter but cannot sign it because of the last but two
paragraph. This paragraph requires availability from a signatory. It
is regrettable that I'll not be availabe for further inputs. Moreover,
the idea is lofty, why my endorsement.
I encourage more big minds on this forum, with ample space in their
tight schedules, to sign.
Nyangkwe

On 11/15/06, Jeremy Malcolm <Jeremy at malcolm.id.au> wrote:
> Here is a much revised (and more polite) version of the proposed letter
> re the IGF Web site that I sent in draft a few days ago, courtesy of
> Kieren McCarthy.  So far we have five people who are putting their names
> to the letter, so here is a last chance for those who would like to add
> their names also, to say so.  I intend on one of us sending it to the
> Secretariat on Friday.
>
> -----------------
>
> Dear IGF Secretariat,
>
> Congratulations again on the tremendous success of the first meeting of
> the Internet Governance Forum in Athens.
>
> Even though it was only a few weeks ago, our thoughts have already
> turned to the meeting scheduled for November 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, and
> this email will, we hope, serve as a useful start point in discussions
> for how we can make the 2007 IGF meeting even more of a success.
>
> In particular, we would like to concern ourselves with the online
> element of the IGF, by which we mean the information, interaction and
> collaboration achieved both before and during the meeting, as well as
> the explicit intentions of many groups at the IGF to use the Internet
> itself to help prepare for the next IGF.
>
> One of the areas that can certainly be improved upon is an online
> presence that acts as an authoritative source of information about the
> Rio meeting, as well as promote the IGF as a venue, and facilitate
> multi-stakeholder discussion.
>
> We would argue that the system in place for the Athens meeting, where
> there were three websites - a host site, an official IGF site, and an
> unofficial collaboration site - was a good starting point but led to
> some degree of confusion and can be improved upon in time for the Rio
> meeting.
>
> There is a risk that since important information has a tendency to
> change rapidly during this type of meeting, that the updating of such
> information (and its replication across several sites) can mean valuable
> time, effort and resources are spent unnecessarily maintaining several
> stores of data. In consequence, we would like to discuss ways in which
> the most can be made out of pooled resources. In many respects such an
> effort would mirror the very multi-stakeholder collaboration that has
> become the IGF's hallmark.
>
> Our current feeling is that the optimal solution would be to settle upon
> a single website, or perhaps more accurately, a single Internet address.
> Thanks to recent advances in Internet technology, it is now extremely
> simple and cost-effective to allow multiple users to work on different
> areas of a single website, with each area controlled by a different
> person, and each able to radically change the approach, content and
> appearance according to their particular needs.
>
> There are numerous advantages to this approach, not least that an
> outsider observer would only have to access a single Internet domain to
> find all the information they need. Those working within the space would
> also benefit from a sense of collaborative achievement, and since all
> the information would ultimately be contained on the same space and the
> same server, opportunities for the data itself to draw links would be
> massively enhanced.
>
> Other benefits include the fact that information could be more rapidly,
> and universally, adjusted, lifting the burden off one individual to keep
> permanently up-to-date. Equally, with areas outside someone's specific
> field being dealt with by that area's best representative, it gives
> everyone the opportunity to concentrate on where they excel, with the
> net effect that better and more accurate information will be produced
> across the board. This process may also have the beneficial effect of
> attracting experts from under-represented fields to help contribute,
> hugely increasing the value of such a site in terms of information
> resources and credibility.
>
> We feel sure that a new platform can be developed along these lines, but
> it will require some discussion among all those involved so everyone can
> be sure of the others' concerns and needs, and to ensure they are
> adequately addressed. Thanks to the flexibility of Internet technology
> we believe it is entirely possible that all issues can be dealt with,
> making such discussion all the more worthwhile since it can be virtually
> assured of a positive outcome. In the meantime of course, the value of
> holding such discussions could prove immeasurably valuable for future
> communication between stakeholders.
>
> It is worth stressing that under the scheme broadly envisaged above, it
> would still be possible for the Secretariat and the host country's
> government to maintain exclusive control of particular sections of the
> site which are to contain official information. This could be branded in
> whatever way was deemed desirable to draw a clear distinction between it
> and other areas of the site. At the same time, both the Secretariat and
> the host government would benefit from the legion of volunteers that
> would take menial and uncontroversial tasks off their hands.
>
> Those signed below would like to volunteer our services to helping this
> process get on its feet and take it forward. We believe such a process
> would be incredibly worthwhile and have a broad positive impact across
> all stakeholders and on the IGF itself.
>
> There are a number of issues to be tackled, not least the question of
> hosting such a site (although business would appear to be a good
> starting point), but also that of agreeing a URL and what the basic
> approach should be when allocating authority. And there is of course the
> issue of ensuring that all those interested in such a proposal are made
> aware of discussions before they happen.
>
> At this stage, however, we ask only that you consider the proposal and
> get back with your considerations and concerns.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
>
> --
> Jeremy Malcolm LLB (Hons) B Com
> Internet and Open Source lawyer, IT consultant, actor
> host -t NAPTR 1.0.8.0.3.1.2.9.8.1.6.e164.org|awk -F! '{print $3}'
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-- 
Aaron Agien Nyangkwe
Journalist/Outcome Mapper
Special Assistant To The President
ASAFE
P.O.Box 5213
Douala-Cameroon
Tel. 237 337 50 22
Fax. 237 342 29 70
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