[governance] A couple of thoughts for the MAG discussion

[michael gurstein]

For anyone who is interested the practical (and theoretical)
limitations of remote participation these were very clearly in
evidence in the attempt to participate remotely in yesterday's
session. The problems of poor connectivity, of lack of technical
knowledge and skill, the lack of specific preparation, the inability
to directly and consequentially draw attention--all of these and
others meant that many (most) were unable to even access the
communication flow from the session let alone participate in the
discussion flow of the meeting a meaningful (and effectual) way.

And note that remote participation, which every time it is attempted
seems to need to be discovered afresh by the various participants has
been around in this context since WSIS and of course in the real world
many years before.

This isn't to say that remote participation isn't valuable, of course
it is.  It is to say rather that for it to have any value it needs to
be structurally built into the overall meeting system -- and not
bolted on, or included as an afterthought or as "a good thing we
should try because some folks are clamouring for it".

It should be as built into the meeting system as directly as ensuring
power supplies, local microphones, and drinking water for the on-site
participants.  Also, it needs to be specifically planned with its own
dedicated resources and specific protocols--for drawing attention, for
intervening, for being included in speaking rosters, for having one's
comments noted etc.etc. (There is a growing literature on this subject
which some of our cs colleagues have been directly contributing to.)

But it needs to also be recognized by all parties that the practical
issues are not going to go away anytime soon for many if not most of
those looking to participate remotely.  That being said as part of the
plan for including RP as a necessary element there needs to be a plan
for adapting the overall meeting structure to the fact that some
participants will inevitably and recognizably be privileged in their
participation and others will be inevitably discriminated against.
Once this is acknowledged then it will be possible to redesign the
meeting process/system taking into account this necessary condition
and rules of governance developed which recognize and make provision
for this.

The worst possible situation is what we have right now which that
there is an implicit assumption that people are able to participate
remotely and that somehow that remote participation is equivalent in
significance to direct and f2f participation.

If anyone questions any of the above all they need to do is to take a
look through the transcript of the skype conversation from yesterday
(which BTW doesn't seem to have changed one iota from similar
conversations I was having 10+ years ago on ICQ around similar such
attempts at RP.)

Mike (still under attack from squadrons of unrelenting mosquitoes here
in Dhaka...

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 5:43 PM, Katitza Rodriguez <katitza at eff.org> wrote:
> got it! It's working now. : )
> Thanks!
>
>
> On 2/16/12 3:20 AM, Mazzone, Giacomo wrote:
>
> Dear Katitza,
> I said to Chengatai the problem you have.
> He is sending you the link to the transcript page...
> There is no skype session active.
>
> I hope this will help.
> Besos.
> Giacomo
>
> From: Katitza Rodriguez [mailto:katitza at eff.org]
> Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:48 AM
> To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>; Deirdre
> Williams <williams.deirdre at gmail.com>
> Cc: Roland Perry <roland at internetpolicyagency.com>
> Subject: Re: [governance] A couple of thoughts for the MAG discussion
>
> Hi folks,
>
> Someone is in the MAG room can Skype me in? is there a civil society Skype
> group? I'm not in today!
>
> On 2/16/12 1:30 AM, Deirdre Williams wrote:
>
> Dear Roland,
> I am living testimony to the frustration you speak about - having got up at
> 4.30 to be ready at 5 for the meeting - I can't find the meeting. :-(
> Can anybody help please?
> Deirdre
>
> On 16 February 2012 04:54, Roland Perry <roland at internetpolicyagency.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> at 14:32:45 on Wed, 15 Feb 2012, Deirdre Williams
>> <williams.deirdre at gmail.com> writes
>>
>>> One of the people 'at' the MAG meeting
>>> this morning was i, rushing off to lobby - electronically -
>>> as soon as the meeting was finished. So I would incline to the idea that
>>> remote participation is fast losing its 'second class' status, and would
>>> push hard for the 'right' that remote participants should NEVER be
>>> treated
>>> as second class, although they often are now.
>>
>>
>> In order to manage people's expectations, I think there should be a
>> grading system for remote participation.
>>
>> For example, is there a live audio feed, a live video feed, transcriptions
>> live or transcriptions archived. Is there an archive of the webcast. Can
>> remote participants have questions read out, or can they speak to the
>> meeting from their remote location. Is there a facility for chat between
>> remote participants.
>>
>> I'm not suggesting that all of these options have to be available for
>> every meeting, but when there's an expectation of being able to participate
>> (or indeed as might be the case for today's MAG meeting, to remotely
>> observe, which is slightly different) and it turns out the facility is very
>> limited, it can be frustrating.
>> --
>> Roland Perry
>>
>>
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>
>
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> Arthur Lewis, Nobel Prize Economics, 1979
>
>
>
> --
> Katitza Rodriguez
> International Rights Director
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> Katitza Rodriguez
> International Rights Director
> Electronic Frontier Foundation
> katitza at eff.org
> katitza at datos-personales.org (personal email)
>
> Please support EFF - Working to protect your digital rights and freedom of
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