There was almost no-one at the Board public forum this afternoon. And it was business as usual. There was some discussion why there was no one there – which appeared to conclude that we needed to have a discussion about it, but the answer is: it was business as usual.
Why would you attend the open Board meeting. The concept is, obviously, terrific – all the Board are there and you can get up and asked them what you like. The reality is quite, quite different.
It is boring. Mind-numbingly boring. And so people just don’t bother. The questions are never answered, Vint controls the interactions and shoots down anything he doesn’t like. And – and this came through clearer than I’ve ever heard it – most people can’t understand it because English is not their first language.
And extraordinary array of people took the microphone to hammer the point home: we want this discussion in French and we want it in Spanish. Three of the last four ICANN meetings have been in French-speaking countries and this is held out as ICANN international credentials. But the reality is one you enter the centre, you might as well be in Marina del Ray.
Person after person came up and expressed their frustration and yet it was, of course, battened down by Vint Cerf – who didn’t know there wasn’t a football match today and didn’t understand the French for “this isn’t a footbal match today” either. And it was then battened down by Paul Twomey who said we couldn’t expect to have ICANN documentation in other languages – even though no one had asked for it. And that it would probably be too expensive. And then Vint battered it down again saying that ICANN’s priorities would have to remain its core technical function – which is a classic technique of blind-siding discussion because there was not a single person in the room that had ever or would ever suggest otherwise.
So more people got up and said the same thing. And then the Brazilian got up and said that at the next ICANN meeting the hosts would provide French and Spanish for free and got a big round of applause.
Even ex-Board member Mouhamet Dioup got up and said the Board must have a resolution saying it will provide translation. And it was battered down again.
And they wonder why no one comes to the meeting. C’est quoi le point?
