IP: My presentation at the PITAC on Wednesday on DNS issues - in rtf format

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

Domain Names: Implications on the health of the Internet
David J. Farber
Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunications at
The Moore School of the 
University of Pennsylvania
Presented at PITAC Nov 1998
History of change
·       Name and IP Assignment IANA -- historical duties 
·       Formation of NSI and community unhappiness with semi-monopoly
·       desire of the USG to “get out”
·       IAHC -- privatization try one
Government action as a result
·       Green paper issued 2/98 
·       White paper issued in 6/98   
·       After heavy commenting on GP.  
·       Limited functions to be  transferred  to a new non-profit  
·       to be organized by private sector  
Many  activities started
·       Postel with assistance from JonesDay started planning for the “new IANA”
·       IFWP informally formed to reflect international non government concerns 
·       three large open meetings -- Reston, Geneva, Singapore 
·       Small network based groups  
·       ORSC  
·       BWG etc. 
Warning that a failure of community action -- IP
·       could destabilize the internet though uncoordinated private actions
·       cause intervention of governments though national and international
actions  
·       WIPO and ITU involvement in IAHC/POC 
Bylaws of new organization drafted
·         5 versions produced by Postel group 
·        various changes proposed by other groups
·        a set of meetings with NSI
·       submitted  to USG along with proposals by ORSC and BWG
ICANN formed
·       USG responds favorable to IANA proposal  
·       asks that ICANN consult the ORSC and BWG along with other parties 
·       incorporation of differences when possible -- many have been done
already 
·       Interim Board formed
·       set of telephone meetings and physical meetings to gain community input
prior to adoption of bylaws
Where are we
·       Still a lot of disagreement among and within the groups 
·       a residual of distrust
·       ICANN Board is working to reduce the above
What are the outstanding issues
·       openness
·       accountability
·       freedom of expression
·       membership
·       structure of SOs
Why do we care
·       the DNS problem is a predictor of future public sector not for profit
organizations
·       it raises the issue of the existence of a community and it’s stability
·       it will decide whether “adult” supervision of the internet  is needed
the stability of the internet structure is critical for:
·       the economic growth of the business
·       the use of the network for commercial and research  purposes
·       it is the highway on which our IT economy depends on







_____________________________________________________________________
David Farber         
The Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunication Systems
University of Pennsylvania 
Home Page: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber