On 4/15/2012 1:03 PM, Milton L Mueller wrote:
Three in a row: three consecutive, mutually reinforcing indications of bad faith. Milton, what you call bad faith, others might call expressing a different opinion from your own.
John Curran: "eek! I can't participate in policy development." Well, sure you can at the IGF, and besides it isn't really "policy development" of the sort you are pretending to be afraid of. Everyone knows that IGF is a non-binding discussion forum and its purpose, if it has a purpose at all, is to do precisely the kind of thing I am proposing - namely, bring multiple stakeholders together in a safe, non-negotiating atmosphere to see where cooperation can move forward in other forums. Are you saying that it is ok for NRO people to do this among themselves, but not out in the open in an inclusive way? Please reconsider.
Ironically, one of the things that you [Milton] have written about a number of times is that the RIRs are to inwardly focused. That is the RIRs cannot change because they have a self-incentive not to change. Yet, the fact that RIR staff, in general, do not fully participate in the policy development process provides a check and balance against the RIRs themselves influencing the policy development process too much. Is the RIR policy development process perfect, no; is it quirky, yes; has it evolved over time to meet different challenges, yes; will it need to evolve further, yes.
McTim: "so you want to develop a policy proposal in Forum A which can only be decided upon in Fora B, C, D, E and F??". Yes, duh, that's what the IGF is for. What is so odd and difficult about well-intentioned people meeting at the IGF, finding out what kind of a proposal(s) could be on the table, debating their merits and demerits, and agreeing to take what is agreeable into those Fora in a coordinated way?. Can you tell me again why you fear that? I personally have no problem with people discussing policy proposals in other fora.
The workshop will happen. There will be a global proposal.
Good, I hope that the igf discussions are fruitful and inclusive enough, so that they represent a large majority of the stakeholders. Andrew