> I'm just an average guy. I happen to own three domain names, currently.
> Nothing special. I don't run businesses.
...
> How and when will I be allowed to have a say in ICANN?
You can join ICANN's General Membership -- but it does not exist yet. And
when (and if) it does all you can do is vote for a minority of directors
who may or may not have the power to deal with policy decisions.
You can join the DNSO's General Assembly -- but it does not exist yet, and
when it does, it does not have the same power as the DNSO constituencies,
from which you are excluded (because you are non-commercial and an
individual.) The latter create the Names Council (from which you are also
excluded) and control DNSO policy making and elect board members to the
ICANN board.
You can try to go to a names council meeting, but if history is any guide
you will be physically ejected unless you are a member appointed by a
constituency (but you have to be a business or registar or ISP or other
commercial entity to be in one of the existing constituencies.)
You can join the PSO, but you'd have to be an established internet
standards organization.
You can join the ASO, but it doesn't exist yet.
You can try to send e-mail to ICANN's board, but the [EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailing list is a black hole - nothing ever comes back out.
You can try to attend an ICANN board meeting, but they are closed.
You can try to attend a Government Advisory Committee meeting, but unless
you are a government, you'll be excluded.
But don't worry, the DNSO is busy at work deciding domain name policy
without you.
If you petition ICANN to change things the President of that corporation
may (and he has on at least one occassion) publicly labeled all the
signaturies as "arrogant juveniles".
Do you still wonder why support for ICANN is fading?
(I wonder at times why I still support it. But I still do.)
--karl--
