Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday
Today is IDN Day. John Kleinsin is up talking about just how hard IDNs are.
In the back of the room, there is muttering about the budget. It looks to me as if it's likely to go through at $15 million.
My view on the budget has changed over time. I've talked to several board members who assure me that ICANN has no interest in broadening its mission. They're focused on limiting what ICANN does. I've talked to registries who are frustrated with the communications problems with ICANN staff. It seems to me that staff is trying, and that they're … swamped.
Given all of this, I'd suggest not focusing on the $15 million number, and talking about structural approaches to future budgets that will help with these two problems: risk of mission creep and staff non-responsiveness.
Let's not allow ICANN to spend, immediately, money it makes from auctioning TLDs (a likely step) or charging registrars. People are talking about foundation approaches — putting the money beyond ICANN's immediate reach. People are talking about task force examination of ICANN's spending habits.
Let's constantly back up the frame on ICANN's mission. My sense is that organizations hardly ever do this. It would be a good idea for ICANN to articulate its job description in a way that avoids the generalities (hinting at things much greater) of the 2002 mission discussions. Let's be specific. Let's not just describe — let's have a watchdog group (that has resources) take a hard look at how ICANN is or may be straying.
If ICANN means what it says — if it's not actually interested in becoming an attractive chokepoint for the desires of governments — then let's hold them to that promise through structures that constrain future budgets.
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