[discuss] [governance] [bestbits] Fwd: Heads up on Brazil meeting preparation

[Shatan, Gregory S.]

It seems to me that /1net is two things, which at this point seem fairly disconnected:

1.  This discussion forum, which is essentially an online marketplace of ideas.
2.  The Steering Committee and the delegates to Brazil, etc. – many of whom do not participate in the discussion forum at all (kudos to those who do, and a couple of aspirin as well).

No. 2 is the /1net that is involved with the Brazil meeting.

No. 1 (all of us) seems to be primarily for the amusement of the crowds (again, us), and perhaps a place where we can all run around and get tired – as one would allow a toddler to run around the house so they will get tired for their nap.  Of course, there are some interesting discussions here, and some functional discussions, and some enlightening discussions -- and some that are inane or weird or semi-unintelligible.  But I’m not sure to what end these discussions take place, other than to inform one another of our thoughts.  George Sadowsky did try to get a focused discussion problem/solution thread going, and it may still go, but that seems to be the exception.  I’m not dismissing many of the other discussions, which have value (or at least the value of seeing what others are thinking, even if one is slackjawed while reading some posts), but the value may be wasted if all these discussions do is bounce around the [discuss] echo chamber.

Just my thoughts, having watched much and posted little lately.

Greg Shatan
(my thoughts alone)

From: discuss-bounces at 1net.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at 1net.org] On Behalf Of Jeremy Malcolm
Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 11:04 PM
To: discuss at 1net.org
Subject: Re: [discuss] [governance] [bestbits] Fwd: Heads up on Brazil meeting preparation

On 30/01/14 03:34, John Curran wrote:

On Jan 29, 2014, at 2:10 PM, michael gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com><mailto:gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:



What this, combined with your words concerning the (relative lack of

substantive) significance of 1net, suggests to me is that in your perception

the Brazil meeting seems now to have become nothing more than a "topical

seminar" of no more significance than a passing debate on the BB or

Governance e-list or a rather compressed and unanchored version of the IGF.



Is this correct?



No.



As stated before, I have no view of the Brazil meeting; I was referring

solely to the role of 1net as a discussion forum, which is equivalent to

any other topical seminar in terms of its legitimacy in that role.

Although I have received pressure (even by a civil society colleague) to drop this issue for my own good, it seems to me that 1net stands on an untenable footing until it has cleared up the disconnect between its framing as just a "discussion forum" or "topical seminar", with its actions as a "movement", including those purportedly taken on its behalf in relation to the Brazil meeting and the website without the endorsement of the list or a resolution of the steering committee.

Is 1net really of and for its participants, or is it still being controlled by the same technical community representatives (presumably Adiel) who negotiated the addition of 1net's name and logo to the Brazil website, and its role in the meeting?  Even if that is water under the bridge now, what if other actions are taken in 1net's name in future?  Might we soon see 1net endorsing other initiatives or issuing statements out of the blue?

These concerns can't just be dismissed as unimportant.  It is a simple matter of internal governance that needs to be clarified one way or the other.
--

Dr Jeremy Malcolm
Senior Policy Officer
Consumers International | the global campaigning voice for consumers
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