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

[Siavash Shahshahani]

> Everyone who uses the Internet is an "individual Internet user."  Why
> should we try to give the term more content than that?
>
> --Wendy

For one thing, this raises an intractable representation problem. But more
importantly, we all know in our hearts what we mean by 'individual
Internet user'; it is the counterpoint to powerful and organized bodies.
And we do not want these to completely dominate the Internet for at least
two reasons:
1. Internet's vitality and growth owes a lot to innovative individuals and
 grass-roots initiatives.
2. Internet offers a potential counter-weight to traditional world
divisions and communication barriers between peoples, not generally
encouraged by organized institutions of power.
It is for the latter reason that I personally find 'regional' divisions of
ICANN distasteful specially in the at-large arena. Regional organizations
may just turn out to be convenient new tools for perpetuating traditional
political divisions.

Siavash


> Michael Gurstein wrote:
>> Hi Jacob,
>>
>> I don't mean to be a pest about this but has there been any "official"
>> interpretation on what precisely is meant by the term "individual
>> Internet user" as below...
>>
>> There was no response to my two cases from yesterday -- one, that of
>> (more or less anonymous) cybercafe frequenting I-users and the other,
>> folks clustered in various groupings "using" the Internet via
>> telecentres (or community networks as per Michael Maranda's
>> interventions).
>>
>> 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. (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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>> http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists
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>> ---
>> Draft MoU with ICANN:
>> http://www.icannwiki.org/NA_RALO_MOU
>>
>> Draft Operating Principles:
>> http://www.icannwiki.org/NA_RALO_OP
>>
>>
>> !DSPAM:2676,4627709c273381703595249!
>>
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>
>
> --
> Wendy Seltzer -- wendy at seltzer.org
> phone: 718.780.7961 // fax: 718.780.0394 // cell: 914.374.0613
> Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School
> Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
> http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html
> http://www.chillingeffects.org/
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