Re: ITU-T Dubai Meeting

[SM <[e-mail]>]

Hi Phillip,
At 11:16 AM 8/2/2012, Phillip Hallam-Baker wrote:
>But there is also another side to the complaints made by Russia, China
>and others, a complaint that US dominated organizations like ICANN and
>the IETF do not allow sufficient credit for in my view. The current

Is the above about the US having a prominent say in organizations 
such as ICANN and the IETF?

>governance structure of the Internet does more than merely prevent
>other governments from gaining control of the Internet, it grants the
>US an extraordinary degree of control. Or at least they give the
>appearance of doing so on paper if the checks and balances on that
>control are not sufficiently understood.

Is there even a governance structure (see draft-bollow-ectf-02)?

>Contrary to the view expressed to me by one IESG member, there is no
>outcome here that is 'unthinkable'. Diplomats will almost invariably

What is unthinkable today may be possible tomorrow.

>The Internet has three separate potential control points: The IP
>Address registry, the DNS name registry and the various registries for
>protocol features. All three are an example of a Tinkerbell ontology:
>They exist for no other reason than that people believe in their
>existence. ICANN DNS names have relevance because there is a consensus
>that they are so, new.net DNS names are irrelevant because there is
>consensus that they are so.

Yes.

>Rather than attempting to maintain the status quo, we should instead
>identify what are the necessary concerns. We need to protect the
>openness of the Internet. We do not need to perpetuate the existence
>of ICANN, IANA or the RIRs as institutions. Maintaining the

The IETF took money from ICANN for some hors d'oeuvres and nobody objected.

>institutions may be a means of protecting the open internet but we
>should be prepared to walk away from them if necessary and in
>particular we should not defend their monopoly status at all costs.

During the last plenary it was mentioned that the IETF should not be 
self-perpetuating.

For some people the open internet is the web.  Other people see it as 
Google, Facebook and Twitter.  Would anyone on this mailing list walk 
away from these free services to protect the open internet?

>Consider for example the maintenance of IPv6 address space. Why does
>this have to be an IANA monopoly? The only necessary requirements for
>IPv6 address space is that the same space is not assigned to two
>different parties and we do not run out. If the ITU-T wants to also be
>in the business of handing out IPv6 address names then give then a /21
>or a /16 and tell them to go party. No really, choose your battles.

If the ITU-T wants a /16 it is simply a matter of asking the IETF for it.

>In conclusion, there is an issue here but not a cause for the panic
>that many seem to suggest. The situation is certainly complex, but not
>one that is too complex for mortal understanding. What I am certain of
>is that we do not need to rely on the counsels of those who tell us
>that the situation is so complex that we need not worry our little
>heads about it. In fact I believe the exact opposite: The openness of

Yes.

Regards,
-sm