IP: Internet Industry Objects to IAHC Proceedings

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

       Internet Industry Objects to IAHC Proceedings         Internet
Industry Objects to IAHC Proceedings    June 4, 1997 4:49 PM EDT


   WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 4, 1997--=20


 -- Association for Interactive Media announces a new representative=20


coalition to examine management and operations of the Internet --=20


 With significant implications for the future of the Internet and attempts
to control it, a coalition of key Internet companies, organizations, and
consumer groups has called for a halt to the International Ad Hoc Committee
(IAHC) proposal to govern the Internet. As a result, the newly-formed Open
Internet Congress (OIC) has called for an "Internet Constitutional
Convention" to examine Internet administration and governance. An
organizational meeting will be held July 9, 1997, in Washington, D.C. and
will be coordinated under the auspices of the Association for Interactive
Media (AIM) with participation by the supporters of the OIC.=20


Serious concerns have arisen that groups that are not representative of, or
responsive to, the concerns of the Internet community as a whole are
attempting to take over control of the Internet. The purpose of the Open
Internet Congress is to create an open forum to discuss how and by whom
decisions about the Internet should be made, and to guarantee that all
stakeholders in the future of the Internet have a voice in the process.=20


A self-appointed group known as the IAHC, comprised of the Internet
Society, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, and a few similar groups
have been holding exclusive meetings in Geneva to discuss vital issues such
as domain name registration. Little effort has been made to inform
consumers, governments or the Internet industry about the proceedings, or
their potential impact on the Internet.=20


Most people who make their living from the Internet have only heard about
decisions made by IAHC after critical issues have been decided. By holding
invitation-only meetings in Geneva, often with less than a 30 day notice,
rightful stakeholders have been disenfranchised from the decision-making
process.=20


AIM and its members have the greatest respect for the contributions that
some of IAHC's supporters have made in the creation and growth of the
Internet, and they readily acknowledge that it would not exist if it were
not for the Internet Society, the World Wide Web Consortium, and the other
participants.=20


"The reality, however, is that the composition of the Internet community
has changed with its explosive growth. The original leadership has now
become the tenured 'Ivory Tower of the Internet.' They have lost touch with
the pulse of mainstream Internet users - probably because they have failed
to include everyone in the process," said Andrew Sernovitz, AIM's president.=
=20


IAHC recently announced that it had dissolved itself and created a new
successor organization, the Policy Oversight Committee. The members of this
committee were chosen by IAHC at a private IAHC meeting. An attorney from
Chicago heads the organization.=20


"The final straw was when IAHC announced that they had created their own
replacement, elected its board and chosen its President - all in a secret
meeting with no public input. There was no possibility that we, or our
members, could have possibly participated," said Sernovitz. "Since its
inception, the 'Net has been the ultimate participatory democracy. It seems
that the original crew has decided to rig the elections to stay in office."=
=20


AIM and its supporters believe that it is time to re-examine how decisions
are made regarding the structure and management of the Internet. With
fifty-five million new people online, IAHC's narrow, pre-commercial view no
longer speaks to the needs of the Internet community.=20


"Developing a process to maintain a just and lasting framework for the
Internet requires input from all stakeholders - academia, governments,
businesses, content providers, and, most important, consumers. That is why
we have formed the Open Internet Congress and are calling for the first
Internet Constitutional Convention," said AIM Senior Vice President Wayne
Thevenot.=20


Founded in 1993, the Association for Interactive Media is the most diverse
coalition of organizational users of the Internet. AIM's mission is to
support the efforts of leaders from for-profit and non-profit organizations
seeking to serve the public through interactive media. With the ability to
form partnerships and friendships among a wide variety of organizations,
AIM bridges the gaps between groups working in dozens of different fields
to ensure the successful future of new media. AIM has over 300 members
including NBC, Infoseek, American Express, CNET, National School Boards
Association, Bay Networks, BellSouth and Time Warner.=20


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We are committed to making this an open and democratic conversation with
input from all. To join the email list, send the message "subscribe oic" to
buddy () lists interactivehq org=20


=A9 Business Wire. All rights reserved.=20


Additional sources of information
  Tell Me More - From Infoseek
   Market Statistics - From Quote.Com
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