Hello Sandra and all,

At 06:13 PM 18/07/99 +1000, Sandra Davey wrote:
>
>An update from the Interim Board of the au Domain Administration
>..
>The auDA Board is pleased to release the first draft policy paper
>for public comment ... The 'Advisory Panel Procedures' contain the
>procedures to be followed for all future Advisory Panels which are
>setup by auDA. This draft policy paper also contains the procedures
>for public consultation. We will be testing this public public process
>during consultation on Advisory Panel Procedures...
>
>With best regards,
>Sandra Davey
>Director, au Domain Administration (auDA)
--

Thank you, and the auDA Interim Board, for all your work Sandra. 
At our auDA web-site, the intended procedures for inviting public
consultation are (in part) proposed as follows:

--
Public Consultation Procedure for Policy Development:
Where policy is being developed, the Panel will undertake public consultation
in the following manner: 
* The worker paper is posted to the auDA website with an agreed accompanying
statement: <snip>
* The statement is released to the auDA membership mailing list and the DNS
list; 
* The statement may be released to other relevant mailing lists and
stakeholders. 
* A minimum of 21 days from the date of the statement will be allowed for
public comment and consultation; 
* A revised copy of the draft paper, taking into consideration the comments
received, will be placed on the auDA website, with the endorsement of the
Chair; 
* A minimum of a further 14 days will be allowed for any additional comments
and consultation; 
* Public comments will ordinarily be published to the auDA website; 
* Having considered all public input, the Panel will submit a report to the
auDA Board for consideration.
The Panel may choose to combine a number of draft papers when undertaking
public consultation.
--

This process seems sensible .. however .. may I suggest that when auDA is
inviting comment, as well as posting the invitation to existing mailing lists,
it may appear appropriate for auDa to establish time-limited mailing lists in
order to address issues under auDA consideration. In this manner, it would be
possible to engender public discussion of the issues, rather than simply
encouraging individual 'one-way' comment by the public. 

Thus, although perhaps a little more time consuming, the creation of
topic-specific and time-limited auDA mailing lists established to facilitate
public discussion may well engender finding better and more widely
representitive solutions. Therefore, although there is nothing preventing this
step in the proposed procedures, may I suggest that our auDA Board consider
adding a clause that actively encourages the creation of mailing lists for the
purposes of eliciting public comment?

As you will be aware, there is some overseas precedent for this suggestion...

--
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/domainhome.htm 

PLEASE NOTE: The following document is a Notice announcing an electronic
mailing list for public discussions regarding the future management and
administration of the .us domainspace ...

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION 
Docket No. 980212036-9125-05 

Enhancement of the .us Domain Space, Notification of Open Electronic Mailing
List for Public Discussions Regarding the Future Management and Administration
of the .us Domain Space 

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department
of Commerce. 
ACTION: Notice 
________________________________________________________________________ 
SUMMARY: Notification is hereby given that the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) has established an open electronic mailing
list for public discussions regarding the future management and administration
of the .us domain space. Participation in the mailing list is open to all
members of the public interested in discussing the issue. 

DATES: The mailing list(1) will remain open until August 12, 1999. 

ADDRESSES: To subscribe to the mailing list, send an electronic mail to 
us-list-request&#167;ntiant1.ntia.doc.gov and in the body of the message type: join
us-list. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Rose, NTIA/OIA, (202) 482-1866. For
technical inquires, contact webmaster&#167;ntia.doc.gov  

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
On August 4, 1998, NTIA published "Request for Comments on the Enhancement of
the .us Domain Space," 63 Fed. Reg. 41547 (1988) (also posted at
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/usrfc/dotusrfc.htm). The RFC sought
comments regarding the future administration and management of the .us domain
space. That comment period was extended on August 24 to afford interested
parties a full opportunity to address the issues on which NTIA solicited public
comment. See 63Fed. Reg. 45800 (1998). 

On March 9, 1999, NTIA hosted a public meeting regarding the future management
and administration of the .us domain. See 64 Fed. Reg. 6633 (1999).
Approximately 60 participants attended the meeting, including the current .us
administrator, current .us registrars, educators, representatives of the
technical, public interest and business communities, state government
officials, officials from Federal Government and representatives of foreign
governments. The discussions focused on four main topics: 1) the current
administration of the .us domain space, 2) issues and opportunities facing the
current and future management of .us, 3) possible models for future .us
management, and 4) possible next steps for going forward. See
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/dotusagenda.htm. 

The meeting resulted in a thoughtful and constructive exchange of ideas about
range of issues regarding current and future .us management. Meeting
participants were strongly in favor of engaging in further discussions and
requested that NTIA establish an electronic mailing list to help facilitate the
interchange. This notice announces that NTIA has set up the electronic mailing
list.
 
In an effort to afford the public an open forum in which to freely discuss the
broad range of issues regarding the .us domain space, NTIA will not actively
moderate the mailing list, but staff will follow the discussions. NTIA
requests, however, that participants keep discussions focused on issues related
to the future management and administration of the .us domain space. 

Digest archives of mailing list discussions may be posted periodically on the
NTIA web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/domainhome.htm. 

The views expressed in the mailing list are not necessarily endorsed by the
Department of Commerce or NTIA. Moreover, the Department of Commerce and NTIA
reserve the right not to post comments that the Department of Commerce or NTIA
deems inappropriate. 

Kathy Smith 
Acting Chief Counsel 
--

One suggestion,
Stephen Loosley
www.stephen.hm