ICANN AT-LARGE MONTHLY ANNOUNCEMENT
In this issue:
- WHOIS – The public comment period for the Preliminary Reports of three WHOIS Task Forces has been extended to 5 July. According to ICANN policy, registrars and gTLD registries must publish domain name registrants' names and addresses online, through the WHOIS service. Three task forces formed by ICANN's GNSO (Generic Names Supporting Organization), which include At-Large liaisons, posted preliminary findings on how to address privacy, accuracy, access, and use of WHOIS at <http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois-privacy/index.shtml>. Detailed comments were contributed by the At-Large liaisons and are posted at <http://www.alac.icann.org/whois/>, along with background information on the Task Forces’ efforts. Please share your views.
- ICANN KUALA LUMPUR MEETING – ICANN's meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 19-23 July 2004 will feature an At-Large meeting with end-users from the Asia/Australia/Pacific region on Tuesday, 20 July, 11:00 – 12:30 at the Shangri-La Hotel. Policy discussions and workshops of interest to the At-Large community also have been added to the schedule: a Workshop on WSIS will be held on 20 July, 08:30 - 10:00, and a Workshop on Internationalized Domain Names has been scheduled for 21 July (all day) – both at the Shangri-La Hotel. All of these events are open to the public and interested individuals are encouraged to attend. The full Kuala Lumpur schedule is posted at <http://icann.org/meetings/kualalumpur/#ScheduleandAgenda>.
- MORE GROUPS JOIN AT-LARGE IN ASIA/AUST/PAC REGION – Four organizations in the Asia/Australia/Pacific region have been certified as At-Large Structures: Internet Society Vasudhay Kutumbhkum (based in in India); ISOC Taiwan Chapter (based in Taiwan); At Large@China (based in P.R. China); and National Information Infrastructure Enterprise Promotion Association (based in Taiwan). This brings the total number of groups certified as At-Large Structures to 16, and ALS applications are pending from organizations in Asia, Africa and North America. Join a group or form a new one. Information is posted at <http://www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm> and <www.alac.icann.org/applications/>.
- PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT ON .NET – The GNSO issued a “new version” of an initial draft report on establishing an open and transparent procedure for designating a successor operator for the .net registry (the current .net registry operator is VeriSign, Inc.). More information is posted at <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-25jun04.htm>.
- WHOIS – The public comment period for the Preliminary Reports
of three WHOIS Task Forces has been extended to 5 July. According to
ICANN policy, registrars and gTLD registries must publish domain name
registrants' names and addresses online, through the WHOIS service.
Three task forces formed by ICANN's GNSO (Generic Names Supporting Organization),
which include At-Large liaisons, posted preliminary findings on how
to address privacy, accuracy, access, and use of WHOIS at <http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois-privacy/index.shtml>.
Detailed comments were contributed by the At-Large liaisons and are
posted at <http://www.alac.icann.org/whois/>
along with background information on the Task Forces’ efforts.
Please share your views.
ICANN’s GNSO initiated a policy development process in October 2003 to address three issue areas relating to the WHOIS database. Three separate task forces – each with a liaison from the ALAC – are addressing these issues, and the ALAC has provided advice on: Restricting Access to WHOIS Data For Marketing Purposes (WHOIS Task Force 1); Review of Data Collected and Displayed (WHOIS Task Force 2); and Improving Accuracy of Collected Data (WHOIS Task Force 3). ALAC advice submitted to the task forces is available at <http://www.alac.icann.org/whois/>.
On 28 May, the three GNSO WHOIS Task Forces submitted Preliminary Reports on their findings, and extended the comment period to 5 July. The reports, e-mail archive of comments, and additional information is posted at <http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois-privacy/index.shtml>: A recording of a public forum held by Task Force 3 is posted at <http://gnso-audio.icann.org/WHOIS-20040623-tf3.mp3>
- ICANN KUALA LUMPUR MEETING – ICANN's meeting in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia 19-23 July 2004 will feature an At-Large meeting with end-users
from the Asia/Australia/Pacific region on Tuesday, 20 July, 11:00 –
12:30 at the Shangri-La Hotel. Policy discussions and workshops of interest
to the At-Large community also have been added to the schedule: a Workshop
on WSIS will be held on 20 July, 08:30 - 10:00, and a Workshop on Internationalized
Domain Names has been scheduled for 21 July (all day) – both at
the Shangri-La Hotel. All of these events are open to the public and
interested individuals are encouraged to attend. The full Kuala Lumpur
schedule is posted at <http://icann.org/meetings/kualalumpur/#ScheduleandAgenda>.
Other meetings and events in Kuala Lumpur that may be of interest to individual Internet users include a GAC Regional Forum on 18 July, a series of ICANN constituency meetings on 19 July, an ICANN Orientation and a meeting of the new ccNSO (Country Code Names Supporting Organization) on 20 July, a public forum on 22 July and an ICANN Board meeting on 23 July. Information on these meetings is posted at <http://www.icann.org/meetings/kualalumpur/>
- MORE GROUPS JOIN AT-LARGE IN ASIA/AUST/PAC REGION – Four organizations
in the Asia/Australia/Pacific region have been certified as At-Large
Structures: Internet Society Vasudhay Kutumbhkum (based in in India);
ISOC Taiwan Chapter (based in Taiwan); At Large@China (based in P.R.
China); and National Information Infrastructure Enterprise Promotion
Association (based in Taiwan). This brings the total number of groups
certified as At-Large Structures to 16, and ALS applications are pending
from organizations in Asia, Africa and North America. Join a group or
form a new one. Information is posted at <http://www.alac.icann.org/announcements/announcement-24sep03.htm>
and <www.alac.icann.org/applications/>.
The following organizations have been certified as At-Large Structures (ALSs) to help individual Internet user communities throughout the world participate in ICANN activities and decision-making that effect them:
- Società Internet (based in Italy; Europe region)
- Arab Knowledge Management Society (based in Jordan; Asia/Australia/Pacific region)
- Alfa-Redi (based in Peru; Latin America/Caribbean Islands region)
- FITUG (based in Germany; Europe region)
- Internet Society Luxembourg A.S.B.L. (based in Luxembourg; Europe region)
- Internet Society Bulgaria (based in Bulgaria; Europe region)
- Moroccan Internet Society (based in Morocco; Africa region)
- Anais.AC (based in Cameroon; Africa region)
- Sudan Internet Society (based in Sudan; Africa region)
- Internet Society - Finland (based in Finland; Europe region)
- Catalan Chapter of the Internet Society - (based in Spain; Europe region)
- Asociación Costarricense de Derecho Informático (based in Costa Rica; LatinAmerica/Caribbean Islands region)
- Internet Society Vasudhay Kutumbhkum (based in India);
- ISOC Taiwan Chapter (based in Taiwan);
- At Large@China (based in P.R. China); and
- National Information Infrastructure Enterprise Promotion Association (based in Taiwan)
These organizations represent a variety of individual users, and are wholly independent from ICANN. Certification simply recognizes that these groups meet ICANN's criteria for involving individual Internet users at the local or issue level in ICANN activities, and for promoting individuals' understanding of, and participation in, ICANN. Organizations interested in promoting individuals' informed, structured participation in ICANN efforts that effect end-users are encouraged to apply for ALS certification. Ultimately, the ALSs in each of the five geographic regions are expected to work together in a Regional At-Large Organization (RALO).
- PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT ON .NET – The GNSO issued a “new version” of an initial draft report on establishing an open and transparent procedure for designating a successor operator for the .net registry (the current .net registry operator is VeriSign, Inc.). More information is posted at <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-25jun04.htm>.
The Interim At-Large Advisory Committee
<alac@icann.org>
<www.alac.icann.org>