Re: Tomatoes for Verisign at NANOG 29

[Dan Riley <dsr () mail lns cornell edu>]

Gerald <gcoon () inch com> writes:
> Having been a part of many fraternity pranks along this line, I might
> remind some of a glitch with this line of thinking.
>
> VeriSign employees read this list. (Verisign shows up with tomatoes & red
> "I love VeriSign" shirts saying if you like the idea...wear shirt && grab
> tomato to stack up front.)

It won't be anything that blatant.  They'll just have their PR
people prepare a strategy to make it look ridiculous ("Old guard
technologists threaten innovation with tomatoes").  Verisign has
conceded that NANOGers are apposed to the wildcards in com and
net--that isn't their battle.  To make an impression on the press,
you've got to show why it *matters* that you're against it, and a pile
of tomatoes is not going to do it.  If anything, it plays right into
their hands by positioning them as the authority and NANOG as a bunch
of immature college pranksters.  If I were Verisign PR, I'd love
having that material to work with.

> I don't think this idea, while amusing, will accomplish the goal. The bind
> patch and other methods of nullifying their corporate group think crap that
> makes them think this is a good idea is more our style. (Play smarter, not
> harder.)

And write your congressmen to explain how Verisign is abusing a
government granted monopoly to stop others (including M$ and AOL) from
innovating at the edge, because that's where this is headed--Verisign
is ultimately counting on having better lobbyists with USDOC than
ICANN, and they're probably safe to do so unless DOC feels some
oversight from above.

-dan