>How and when will I be allowed to have a say in ICANN?
The simple answer is that you can have a say now.
ICANN provides a comments page for many of the issues under
consideration. You can find those at various places on the ICANN web site
(http://www.icann.org). You also can provide general comments at
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
You could also choose to participate, either in person or remotely, in
the ICANN public hearings that precede the closed ICANN Board meetings.
The Board takes comments both from a public microphone and by e-mail.
Watch the ICANN site for information about remote participation.
For participation in the DNSO, you can choose to participate in a
constituency, though as you note, only some are officially recognized at
present. You could also choose to participate in the DNSO's General
Assembly, a forum that is open to everyone in the community who wishes to
work on the issues of the DNSO. In person General Assembly meetings are
coordinated with ICANN's Board meetings (the schedule is on the ICANN web
site), though I hope that the General Assembly soon will become a real
online community.
You can choose to participate in the DNSO's own online community (unclear
whether this is the "General Assembly" list or not) by subscribing to the
lists at http://www.dnso.org/dnso/listsdnso.html. General comments to
the Names Council can be submitted to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Some ICANN Board members and ICANN staff also have shown that they read
this list.
By the end of the year, there should be a General Membership of ICANN
that may also be a forum for participation.
As you've probably noted, there is some disagreement about whether the
avenues I've described allow for _meaningful_ participation, but I
assumed that you were looking for the information above. I hope this is
helpful.
-- Bret
