Dunno how far you want to go into this story, but here are some links.

Fullest coverage (Reuters):

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/020224/n24312904_2.html

ICANN chief proposes major overhaul of domain-name body

By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The president of the Internet's top standards-setting body proposed a radical restructuring of the organization on Sunday, hoping to settle questions of legitimacy that have dogged it from the start.

 

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ICANN press release

ICANN President Recommends a Roadmap for Reform

Marina del Rey, California USA (24 February 2002) At the ICANN Board of Directors retreat held over the weekend of 23 February, President Stuart Lynn proposed a sweeping series of structural reforms for ICANN. These reforms, designed to lead ICANN towards attainment of its core mission, were carefully discussed by the Board. Board directors encouraged Lynn to post the proposed reforms for public review and comment.

http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24feb02.htm

Entire proposal at:

http://www.icann.org/general/lynn-reform-proposal-24feb02.htm

From the ICANN Watch website (Michael Froomkin's board): conspiracy in the works Feb. 19 at closed-door meeting 

Joe Sims organizing a clandestine operation
Posted by michael on Tuesday, February 19 @ 10:26:46 MST
Contributed by Anonymous

The following has just appeared on the ALSC Forum list:-

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-forum@www.atlargestudy.org
> [mailto:owner-forum@www.atlargestudy.org]On Behalf Of Jeanette Hofmann
> Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 10:30 AM
> To: forum@www.atlargestudy.org
> Subject: [ALSC-Forum] (Fwd) Joe Sims organizing a clandestine Operation
>
>
>
> Hi, everyone. I forward the following message on Andy's behalf.
>
>
> Date sent: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 15:01:40 +0100
> From: Andy Mueller-Maguhn

> Subject: Joe Sims organizing a clandestine Operation
>
>
>
I just got a call from a source in the European Commission (Department for Information Society). Joe Sims was today in Brussel for some kind of a closed door meeting with Chrisopher Wilkinson and some other people of the European Commission (my source did not attend the meeting).

Sims presented plans for a complete restructuring of the ICANN board, without the at large. If I understood correct with governmental representatives in the board and with complete different set of ASO, PSO and parts of the DNSO.

I just reached Christopher Wilkinson on the phone who seemed astonished about my knowledge on _that_ Sims had been there. I asked for details of what Sims presented and only got the sentence from Wilkinson, that "he is not sure if Sims presented this as a position of the board or his own."

To his understanding, this will be presented to the board at Saturday and he told me, that he would be more happy if I could get the details from the board.

Short: he told me to piss off and not disturb the conspiracy.

shocked,

A.



[I might add that the tactic of 'speaking personally' is a common one to create deniability, or even just negotiating room, for one's employer. I have little doubt that no lawyer for an organization would express views regarding the fundamental existence of his client to a major government agency unless he had at least cleared them in principle with his client. - mf]

Association for Progressive Communications

http://www.apc.org/english/rights/governance/icann_election2000/icann_about.htm

Whose Internet is it anyway?

Focus on ICANN

WHAT IS ICANN?

ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is an NGO which was created after calls by the US government for a body to be set up to administer policy for the Internet name and address system (DNS).

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT ICANN?

If we are not careful, ICANN will become a 'World Trade Organization in cyberspace', defining policy and legislating changes to the Internet which we will all be affected by, behind closed doors.