[discuss] governments and rule of law (was: Possible approaches to solving...)

[David Conrad]

Michel,

On Feb 26, 2014, at 9:10 AM, Michel Gauthier <mg at telepresse.com> wrote:
> You know the rule: if ICANN works for free for me, I am the product. Why would I be your product?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-benefit_nonprofit_corporation

> If you do not sell me, if you do not sell to me, it means we are in competition somewhere. Economy is made that way.

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
  - Hamlet (1.5.167-8)

> Where does ICANN get its money from?.

https://www.icann.org/en/about/financials/proposed-opplan-budget-v1-fy13-01may12-en.pdf, section 3.

> But ICANN claims it is important to all of us because it runs the RSS.

ICANN does not claim to run the root server system. ICANN operates the "L" root server. ICANN also provides a venue for root server operators to discuss topics relevant to root server operations and ICANN (RSSAC), but that advisory committee does not "run the RSS" (to put it mildly).

> Bill documented that a root-server costs only $ 200. 

You conveniently omit Bill's comments regarding opex (operational expenses) and I believe Bill was talking about a single instance intended to be what's considered a "local root server instance" suitable for a limited set of queriers and does not take into account the costs of connectivity, cooling, power, administration, etc. Such instances are not expected to receive significant queries and are thus quite inexpensive (although I personally would argue that $200 is too low).

As I mentioned in a previous response, if you wish to provide a root server capable of responding to global queries and do it well (that is, professionally), you're going to have to spend a lot of money (on the order of US $millions/year).  How much depends on a number of variables, of which hardware cost is among the less significant. Bandwidth and co-lo costs are likely to be the major expenditures.

>> In ICANN's own constellation, the L-root, pretty much anyone who signs up to participate is welcome to do so.
> Perfect. And I suppose they do not pay you and you do not pay them?

Yep. Shocking as it might be, some folks actually do things without getting paid.

> But why would ICANN pick NTIA's calls in the first place?

ICANN answers many, many calls. Really.

> Frankly after 16 years I still do not know what is the real purpose of ICANN and if it is good or bad for the world.

Given other people have figured out ICANN's purpose after far less time, if, after 16 years, you still do not know what ICANN's real purpose is, perhaps the problem lies less with ICANN than with you?

Regards,
-drc

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