[governance] RE: GeoTLD

[Michael Leibrandt]

Dear Wolfgang,

How can you seriously say that www.berlin.de is a monopoly? You know better than that. At the second level, the number of berlin.TLD using existing and potential new TLD is nearly unlimited. For example, the berlin.biz is obviously for sale (www.berlin.biz); so everyone who wants to compete with berlin.de could do so possibly for a fraction of the costs that come wich the campaign for a new GeoTLD. I would be the first one to openly support proposals like .city, .metropole etc. The challenge is to combine fair competition with more consumer choice, and this can only be done at the second level. Even pro-DotBerlin colleagues admit that once you have introduced one GeoTLD for a specific region, there isn't much room for another GeoTLD for the same region (see e. g. Wolfgang Straub at www.citytld.com/pdf/GeoTLD-300507-comments-werner-staub.pdf; especially footnote no. 6).

Over and over again you refer to workshops etc. in the ICANN and IGF framework which are at least partly initiated by the GeoTLD applicants and take place in fancy locations like Puerto Rico and Rio de Janeiro. At the IGF these events might be useful as information tools, but beside this, what is the added value? The ICANN Board is not hostile towards the GeoTLD concept, so you don‘t need to convince them. The general concept of GeoTLD is also not questioned; we already have .cat and .asia. Finally, individual cases can adequately be discussed only "at home", based on local norms and values and including all relevant local stakeholders. Taking such an issue out of the hands of the local people is what I would call a centralistic top-down approach. And I find it a bit arrogant if you expect public authorities (using taxpayers money) and certain associations (living from membership fees that come from taypayers money) to participate in informal events, even if world-famous Prof. Kleinwächter is the moderator. I‘m sure that all parts of the relevant community will make themself heard at the right time, at the right place, and in the right manner. And if you find the way this issue has been dealt with at the national and local level ignorant, provencialistic and behind-closed-doors-dealmaking (what a statement!), than you obviously live in a different Germany than I do.  

Due to tue fact that you‘re not a Berliner: Have you already initiated a .leipzig?

Cheers,

Michael

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