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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText>Thanks John, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Comments inline...<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>-----Original Message-----<br>From: John Curran [mailto:jcurran@istaff.org] <br>Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2014 5:01 PM<br>To: michael gurstein<br>Cc: 1Net List<br>Subject: Commercial sponsorship of meetings conflict w/Internet stewardship? (was: Re: [discuss] Comcast undertakes 9 year IETF cosponsorship!?)</p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>On Mar 23, 2014, at 7:18 AM, michael gurstein <<a href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>gurstein@gmail.com</span></a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>> However, as bodies which are being identified as core mechanisms in <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>> the global governance of the Internet (and as central to the desired <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>> global stampede towards MSism) it matters a very great deal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Michael,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Thank you for bringing a problem to the 1net discuss list! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'> [MG>] my pleasure :)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please explain the specific problem that you perceive (i.e. with respect to the IETF, commercial sponsorship of its meetings and its role in the Internet ecosystem, etc.) You have indirectly asserted that there is some issue, but an actual problem statement (such as George Sadowsky supplied for his issue) is really the first step in building shared understanding and solution collaboration.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>[MG>] The specific problem that I perceive here (and based on information provided in the thread it appears to apply equally to ISOC and from elsewhere in these discussions ICANN) is how, in the context of a public policy role for MSism and MS institutions should/could "conflicts of interest" be defined, identified and "regulated"? To rephrase (and to recontextualize) this, the specific problem would be what measures need to be put in place to ensure that MS mechanisms/institutions are working in the public interest and not in the interests of individual participants/contributors/"stakeholders"?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Is this an actual problem that has been observed or just a potential problem? If is an existing problem, then what are its symptoms in the present system?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b><i><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>[MG>] Frankly I'm not sufficiently familiar with (in this instance the IETF or ISOC--or for that matter ICANN) to know whether it is an actual problem or just one that needs to be guarded against given the likelihood of problems to emerge in these areas.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Are there specific changes that you are suggesting to the institutions (or system they operate in) in order to mitigate the problem and/or avoid it altogether?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b><i><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>[MG>] I would need to have much more direct familiarity with the various institutions to give a useful answer to this question but in the first instance it would be good if the various institutions were to recognize the potential of such a problem and indicate what measures they would put in place to mitigate. I note Stephen (Farrell's) comments re: the specifics of the IETF processes but would suggest that the problem if it occurs is as likely to be in the form of implicit processes of influencing as in overt/explicit interventions by which I mean influencing what matters are seen as being acceptable to be included or not included on agendas, influencing the kind of persons who are nominated for various positions (and not nominated), and overall helping to shape and influence the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_climate">climate</a>" of the discussion in certain “self-interested” ways e.g. what are the boundaries of acceptable discourse; who or what positions are identified as being outside of what is acceptable; determining what are the implicit norms, values frameworks for problem definition/resolution and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b><i><o:p> </o:p></i></b></p><p class=MsoPlainText>(I've omitted some other lists that you included on your message; if the folks on them wish to participate in the collaborative efforts towards a solution, please suggest that they joint 1net discuss...)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b><i><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>[MG>] sure…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'>M<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Thanks!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>/John<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Disclaimer: My views alone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>