[governance] RE: [NA-Discuss] ALAC and NCUC

[Dan Krimm]

Each individual natural person is an individual user, even when working
collaboratively, I would think.  They each individually have an interest in
their use (both collective and individual) of the Internet.

Distinguish users from uses (and certainly from "accounts").  Even when use
is collective, users are individuals.

For example, parent/child homework collaboration: two individual users.
And as Robert points out, even if a user does not have an individual
account and has only sporadic and constrained access to the Internet, that
does not preclude the person from being an individual user.

This is a qualitative question, not quantitative.  The goal is not to
estimate the size of the Internet market, or to break out the functional
components of the Internet system.

The point is to establish standing of natural persons to participate in
policy making processes, surrounding the Internet.

Context shapes categorization.

Dan



At 4:17 PM -0700 4/19/07, Michael Gurstein wrote:
>In the instance where a child is working with the parent to do a
>homework assignment--who is the "individual" user--or is it not the
>family; or a village is using its single access point as a way of
>acquiring information concerning the location and method for digging a
>well for the collective benefit of the community.
>
>MG
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeanette Hofmann [mailto:jeanette at wzb.eu]
>Sent: April 19, 2007 9:33 AM
>To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Michael Gurstein
>Subject: Re: [governance] RE: [NA-Discuss] ALAC and NCUC
>
>
>
>
>> On the principle that silence is consent, if my argument is valid then
>
>> could I suggest that the notion of "individual internet user" in fact
>> is more or less without content as it could either mean anyone, since
>> anyone could be an anonymous cybercafe or cell phone Internet surfer
>> (or no one in particular--who would know or could make any judgements
>> in this regard);  or it should necessarily include some sorts of
>> collective groupings i.e. families, communities etc.
>
>
>The notion of individual users matters a lot in the context of
>representation. It is not the same if individuals have a right to
>participate in ICANN or if they need to join an organization such as an
>ISOC chapter to have a say.
>
>I don't understand how a family could form an individual user. Are you
>perhaps confusing users with email accounts?
>
>jeanette
>
>
>
>(individuals as collectives
>> hmmm...-and then who speaks for them and how are the "interests" of
>> these collectives to be represented, as collectives or as collections
>> of individuals etc.etc.).
>>
>> In a global environment where on the one hand Internet "use" is
>> becoming more or less pervasive and on the other where the notion of
>> who or what constitutes "the individual" is highly culturally (and
>> even politically) determined, could I humbly suggest that some other
>> mode of delineating participation in this aspect of Internet
>> governance be formulated.
>>
>> MG
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: na-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
>> [mailto:na-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Jacob
>
>> Malthouse
>> Sent: April 19, 2007 6:36 AM
>> To: NA Discuss
>> Subject: [NA-Discuss] ALAC and NCUC
>>
>>
>> From: http://alac.icann.org/
>> ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is responsible for
>> considering and providing advice on the activities of the Internet
>> Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), as they relate to
>
>> the interests of individual Internet users (the "At-Large"
>> community). ICANN, as a private sector, non-profit corporation with
>> technical management responsibilities for the Internet's domain name
>> and address system, will rely on the ALAC and its supporting
>> infrastructure (At-Large groups all over the world) to involve and
>> represent in ICANN a broad set of individual user interests.
>>
>> From: http://www.ncdnhc.org/
>> The Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC) is the home for civil
>> society organizations in ICANN's Generic Names Supporting
>> Organization (GNSO). With real voting power in ICANN, it develops and
>> supports Internet policies that favor noncommercial communication and
>> activity on the Internet, and it participates in the selection of
>> ICANN Board members.
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