[governance] ISOC/PIR case for .ORG sale - more transparency required

[Ayden Férdeline]

I am forwarding the below email, without attribution, as it was posted to a private mailing list and I have not yet been able to make contact with the sender to ask if I may share it here with their name attached. However, I think their suggested path forward is a very good one, and this may be something we could call for in order to increase our understanding of the PIR sale. Please see below. Thanks.

Best wishes,
Ayden Férdeline



> While secrecy during commercial negotiation is reasonable, this is not a
> commercial deal: it involves a charity, and a key functional cornerstone
> of the Internet. I am truly amazed that Ethos has not permitted ISOC and
> PIR to release internal discussions, reports, meeting minutes, analysis,
> briefings and email in full to indicate to the world at large that
> nothing nefarious has been going on. Yes, that would include releasing
> confidential Ethos strategic business information but Ethos is a vehicle
> apparently created specifically for this deal and has nothing to lose if
> it avoids the deal being blocked, or rendered null by mass protests and
> migration to another TLD.
>
> Given the scale of the pushback, the fact that Ethos and ISOC are
> unwilling to just release the internal emails is the strongest indicator
> to the world at large that there is, indeed, "some sort of nefarious
> deal going on". I call upon the Board to instruct you to tell Ethos that
> the deal is off unless they agree to you releasing all your and their
> confidential information about the deal. If you cannot call the deal
> off, then tell them you will actively disclaim it and campaign for it to
> be blocked by a competent authority.
>