> 4. What will happen to financial surpluses generated by this activity?
    
  It is Melbourne IT's aim to plough back profits from the DNA bureau
  service into funding research into new Internet related products that
  will enhance the future
  Internet capabilities in Australia and abroad -  and generate
  considerable additional local employment. 
  
  We are also willing to sponsor selected Internet infrastructure and
  ISOC-AU activities, as appropriate to the magnitude of our role in the
  industry.
  
  With good wishes
  PG
 
Speaking for myself, as a member of ISOC-AU but not (yet :-) in any
official capacity, That is a very gracious offer and I thank you for it.

However I believe that ISOC-AU should have a defined role to play in
oversight of DNS, and that we should seek to "justify" any cross funding
on that basis, not just on the basis that M-IT as a commercial entity sees
value in a strong ISOC-AU (which is smashing, and a very good view to hold!).

This is unlike most funding issues with ISOC-AU: because we expect to seek
a role in the process, the act of taking funds from an interested party
needs to be very very carefully reviewed for all the implications that has
on an emerging process.

My fellow isoc-eers may feel this is overly cautious, but I do want us
to have the *right* relationship with M-IT and DNS issues, and if we become
the recipient of funds from you, we need to be sure we BOTH can accept the
consequences of that flow of money. For instance, if we define there to be 
a need for a DNS impost globally, ISOC-AU might need to be seen to levy that
equally across all players.

In all other cases, I expect ISOC-AU to be seeking funding from industry at
large, and on a clear understanding its "no strings" but because we expect to
help legitemate the DNS process, and your companies role in it, I don't think
its that simple in your case.

Again, I stress this is MY PERSONAL VIEW. Nobody is really in a position to
speak for ISOC-AU at this stage.

Cheers
	-George
--
George Michaelson         |  connect.com.au pty/ltd
Email: ggm§connect.com.au |  c/o AAPT,
Phone: +61 7 3834 9976    |  level 8, the Riverside Centre,
  Fax: +61 7 3834 9908    |  123 Eagle St, Brisbane QLD 4000