[PC-NCSG] PC-NCSG mail list transparency

[David Cake]

	My feelings -
While Padmini is an NCSG member, that does not mean NCSG should be drawn into taking a position on the specific incident - I agree with Ed?s approach that NCSG should support our members right to fair consideration but not take any position on the actual complaint. While I do think some of Padmini?s actions, including making correspondence with the ombudsman that included naming the other party, was certainly not what I would have done, and problematic, but just as I feel we do not feel we need to take a position on the specific complaint, I don?t feel we need to take a position on her actions either. Some of us might personally express concerns, but the NCSG as a group (or any of its sub-groups) does not need to, and should avoid, taking a position on anything specific to the complaint. 

Padmini personally has my strong support and sympathy, and I don?t think we should be too critical. It is difficult to know how to react to being put in that situation, especially in the absence of solid mechanisms and in a complex environment like ICANN. But I also don?t personally back all points made by CIS, who are an experienced policy group who have had time to consider their statement.  

I think NCSG should be concerned about the broader issue of an absent or lacking policy, and should take active effort to fix that, and I think we are doing so. I am one of the Councillors who volunteered to help with a policy. I?m not sure what the path forward will end up being, but I know many of us are very willing to help and I think have very sensible nuanced views on how ICANN as an organisation can move to fix this problem Its been great to see. 

I agree that attacks on the ombudsman are unhelpful. I think issues like this should be somewhat outside his remit, but that doesn?t mean he has done anything wrong, only that the ombudsman has attempted to deal with the issue in the absence of other, more appropriate, mechanisms. Perhaps the ombudsman might be decided to be the appropriate place to deal with the issue, but based on an existing explicit policy rather than treating it as a dispute between individuals. I certainly think that we should be more concerned about the Ombudsmans (and his staff) performance and qualifications (and I have no reason to doubt Chris? qualifications, which seem very solid) rather than his ethnicity or gender. 

David