In four years of involvement, this is the best thing I've ever read. I can't
resist sending it in full so we all get to read it :-)
http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2311649,00.html
Enough already!
By Randy Barrett
I'm just plain sick of the Domain Name System dispute.
It's an issue with all the dynamics of a kindergarten
playground, replete with a goody-goody, scores of
screaming 4-year-olds, a big bully and a teacher who
can't quite control the situation. Really, it's time all the
parties got a good talking-to from the principal and were
sent home.
Here's what Network Solutions Inc. needs to hear: You
can't control the world. Sure, you got a cozy cooperative
research and development agreement with the National
Science Foundation before anybody realized the Net
would become a Domain Name System (DNS)
registration gold mine. Well, it's worth scads - some say
as much as $2 billion, enough to fill the pockets of your
precious stockholders - so move over and share the
wealth.
Foot-dragging and hurling recriminations at the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers may earn
a few more bucks while you protect your monopoly, but
the strategy isn't worth the cost: poor public relations
and glowering disapproval from Congress. And do
yourself a favor and drop the argument that you own the
"Whois" database. It will only win you more enemies on
Capitol Hill and across the Net. Claiming the right to the
names, addresses and DNS information of domain
registrants who had no choice but to patronize NSI is
empty at best.
Here's what ICANN needs to hear: No good deed goes
unpunished. That said, you need to win the respect of
the Internet community through transparent management
and inclusive decision-making. Esther Dyson, you're
probably regretting you ever took on the job of running
the organization. True, it wins the Thankless Task Award
for the latter half of the 20th century, but it needs to be
done. Finesse is the only way to achieve victory. Don't
shove and demand compliance when you haven't earned
the authority. Get more people on your side and things
will get easier, particularly in dealing with that bully, NSI.
Here's what the Department of Commerce needs to hear:
Grab the rod! These children are out of control, and
nobody is afraid of you. While all this DNS mess gets
worked out, there needs to be some discipline. Raise
your voice and throw your weight. Beat the recalcitrant
ones with the white paper, and I highly recommend you
wrap it around a hickory baseball bat.
And to all the rest of you shrieking, overopinionated
tykes in this trying drama: Shut up! Implementing an
entirely new worldwide registration authority outside of
any national government is an enormously difficult task.
Petty political harping doesn't help - it just proves you've
got too much time on your hands. Go start Internet
companies, get rich and retire, but leave the process
alone unless you have something constructive to add.
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