Hi Ian and colleagues

This is resent, because an addressing glitch meant that it failed to
reach the list last week. A couple of answers to your questions. I am
chairing the current Names Policy Panel.

Question 1. No. There will be two public consultations in the same way
as usual. The first one is most likely to be in May or June, depending
on the deliberations of the panel. 

Questions 2 and 3.  I am not running the survey, so auDA could answer
these questions better than I can. However, I can't see any reason why
the complete survey document would not be available. 

There are three surveys. One is of a random sample of registrants,
which will be weighted according to the 2LD in which they are regisered.
Another is a sample of regular internet users, a structured sample
provided by Nexus Research. The third is the self-selected sample to
which you refer. It may be possible to organise multiple responses; the
protection against this are the role of Nexus Research as a professional
marketing and social research firm, and the fact that there is another
sample.

The panel has discussed the role of the surveys in its deliberations.
When we can see the results (in May) we will consider this further, but
there is no intention by the panel that the survey outcomes should usurp
the role of the two public consultations. 

Having said that, it is good to have a process which can be a bit more
evidence-based than past policy processes.

I'm happy to answer any questions.

regards


Derek


Derek Whitehead
Director, Information Resources and University Copyright Officer
Swinburne University of Technology
tel. (03) 9214 8333
 


>>> Ian Smith <smithi&#167;nimnet.asn.au> 13/4/07 16:02 >>>
I have real concerns about the integrity of this process:

1) Is this anonymous survey, as reported by one newspaper article
mentioned in David Goldstein's newsletter, to be one out of of the two
public consultations on these proposals by this panel?

2) Is a complete copy of the survey questions available for scrutiny?

Having completed the survey, it's clear that it is a multi-path set of
questions, so one is not aware what questions are being asked of those
who choose different answers to various questions? (without cheating)

3) What methods are being employed by Nexus Research to prevent
'ballot
stuffing", ie multiple voting by any parties interested in the
outcome?

 > auDA and the Panel encourage everyone with an interest in .au
domain
 > name policy issues to participate in the online survey. Please note
 > that the identity of respondents will not be disclosed to auDA or
the
 > Panel. 

This latter point is rather of concern, unless we can be satisfied
that
"ballot stuffing" has been obviated, because I have little doubt that
these results will be interpreted as 'votes' for some desired outcome,
despite their anonimity reducing their true value to close to zero.

 > To participate in the online survey, please click here
 >
http://www.nexusresearch.com.au/sswebend/ssweb9.exe?f=7036Web+au2842+11+10+1

 > 
 > For more information about the Panel and its full Terms of
Reference, please click here
 > http://www.auda.org.au/2007npp/ 

Been there, done that.  So far, just the once.

Cheers, Ian

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