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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 07/10/2014 8:05 AM, Sam Lanfranco
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:5433D703.6010101@yorku.ca" type="cite">
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The following was written (by me) for the global health
community's Health Information for All 2015 (HIFA2015) discussion
group. HIFA2015 had been a venue for vocal criticism of ICANN's
handling of the .health gTLD. This drops down a notch to the .city
TLD initiative and discusses a problem tossed up by the creation
of .nyc. While the problem is with second level domain names, the
parties to the problem have views on what should constitute a
responsible role for ICANN here. The problem is complicated,and
won't go away. It is another area where ICANN can be engaged and
show leadership, or watch passively as Internet DNS naming policy
is developed elsewhere. - Sam L. <br>
<br>
<b>Posting for </b><b><a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:HIFA2015@dgroups.org">HIFA2015@dgroups.org</a></b><br>
<br>
<font color="#330099">The global health community has been vocal
but, to date, largely unsuccessful in its struggle over the
.health generic Top Level Domain name, now in the hands of a
private-for-profit company. There is a second problem on the
horizon, and it will strike closer to home for many
organizations in the global health community. It has to do with
geographic based domain names and second level domain names. For
example, if .nairobi is a city TLD, health.narobi could be a
second level domain name, owned by the city or a private
company. This can create multiple issues for community groups.
Here is already unfortunate current situation for community
mental health groups in New York. The application period (so
called Landrush) for second level .nyc domain names ended last
Friday October 3rd. On Saturday one community health
organization applicant received a notice from the registrar
handling its application informing it that more than one
applicant had requested the MentalHealth.nyc domain name, and
that the domain name would be sold at auction with 60% of
revenue going to the private company managing .nyc for New York
City, and 40% to the city.<br>
<br>
The problem here is that unlike the ICANN auctions there is no
transparency with regard to who the various applicants are. As a
second level domain issue ICANN has washed it hands of such
issues. In the direct ICANN auctions the various applicants are
known and can negotiate to avoid an auction or collaborate on
bidding. None of that is possible here. The community health
group in question is advocating for transparency as a basis for
a collaborative dialogue around MentalHealth.nyc. If another
party has a superior plan this community group would be prepared
to withdraw its application. With a blind auction nobody has an
idea of who the other bidders are. This organization is a half
century old not-for-profit serving a small section of the city.
Perhaps the others applicants do similar work. This community
group is asking for some assurance of transparency for
applicants at this second level, wishfully here, and certainly
in any new gTLD efforts. It suggests that this should be part of
an ICANN contract language driven Informed Consent process. This
also raises an issue of what should be the role of local
governments in setting the rules of the game for handling second
level geographic TLD issues.<br>
</font></blockquote>
<br>
I fail to see what bad may happen if a company other than the
community group bids for and obtain the mentalhealth string in the
NYC TLD. The scenarios where this would contribute to a losse of
influence for the community are not realistic. The successful bidder
will need top notch content to make it work, and the community that
does the work is that content. If a comedic business model is
envisioned, I fail to see how that would negatively impact the
community as well. <br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:5433D703.6010101@yorku.ca" type="cite"><font
color="#330099"> <br>
The further worry is that there is the possibility that the
MentalHealth.nyc name could be sought by a comedy club, or maybe
to market a magic health produce. While recognizing both of
these might qualify as beneficial to mental health, the
applicant argues that from a city perspective the more
traditional health use of the name would be more appropriate. </font></blockquote>
<br>
I agree! And i am willing to wager that the successful bidder will
also be thinking just that ;)<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:5433D703.6010101@yorku.ca" type="cite"><font
color="#330099">For this reason, they would like to see the
ICANN Informed Consent provisions provide for greater
transparency and multistakeholder engagement in selecting public
interest name set-asides at the the .city and related geoTLD
levels. If as a last resort an auction is necessary, they feel
that the proceeds should be retained within the community and
not siphoned off by the gTLD gate keepers. This is how the ICANN
private auctions work where the proceeds of the auction are
shared by the losing bidders. <br>
<br>
What can global community health community people do here?
First, they can press both ICANN and their respective national
government representatives to ICANN's Government Advisory
Council (GAC) for more appropriate second level provisions in
the Informed Consent language of ICANN contracts. Second, they
can watch efforts at local .city TLD and other geographic gTLDs
in their home territories and engage their governments and the
applicants early in the process. This will not be easy but it is
just another “rules of the game” challenge flowing from the
pandora's box of the Internet ecosystem.<br>
</font></blockquote>
<br>
Neither easy nor necessary.<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote cite="mid:5433D703.6010101@yorku.ca" type="cite"><font
color="#330099"> <br>
Sam Lanfranco, Chair<br>
ICANN/NPOC Policy Committee </font><br>
</blockquote>
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