As regular readers know we are actively involved in domain name and internet industry self-regulation and policy development. It has always been my personal belief that if you have the ability to make your voice heard then you should take advantage of any and all opportunities to do so.
Why?
Because the world is not perfect and neither is our industry.
If we don’t let the rest of the industry know that we aren’t overly happy with a particular policy then the chances of it ever changing are slim to none.
So how can you make a difference? Do you need to be a registrar to make your voice heard?
The short answer is anyone who wants to can make a difference simply by “turning up”.
If you want to “dip your toes” then why not take a few minutes to submit a comment on one of the open comment periods listed on the ICANN site? Just head over there, read some of the background documents and add a comment via email.
There are a couple that might be of interest to the “normal” public:
Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery – basically what happens to domains when they expire
Vertical Integration – can registrars own registries and vice-versa? Probably not that exciting a topic unless you’re involved in the industry, but quite important if you’re an advocate of free trade.
Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (part B) – part of a series of policy groups about domain transfers (disclosure: I am the Working Group chair)
RAA Amendments – possible changes to the contract between ICANN and registrars (ie. companies like Blacknight)
If any of them aren’t clear ICANN’s policy staff can usually help clarify the topic under discussion
About the Author: Michele Neylon
