NewTLDs : The Long and Winding Road

"it's kind of hard to suggest the next round of application fees is justifiable."

I agree with your view on principle as usual but this "plan for action" for a limited number of sTLD's outlined a new process for applicant evaluation. There are really 2 risks of application: 1) you go through all of the time, effort, and expense necessary to put forward an application of quality that is far in addition to the application fee itself and 2) after doing as much, the application is not successful, for whatever reason including (for this RFP) clear language that the Board could simply not allow entry even if the third party evaluation process recommended it. But, the point being these are known risks for interested parties to evaluate whether they want to participate with the "invitation". Just as in Nov 2000, "7-10" was a risk known upfront, supported by the community, for reasons mostly of being a "testbed" (something "that had never been done before"...remember that?) and most in the community supported this rationale (from the advice of the unnamed technical experts) under the assumption it was "a start"...not an end. All interested parties knew of this risk upfront and some chose to participate, and some did not.

As far as the application fee goes for this RFP, they could have had a tiered fee: those without material changes to their previously submitted application would pay less than new guests. But, either way, the applicant knows they are paying for their own evaluation meaning they are taking the financial risk and NOT ICANN. This was inherent to the RFP. So, to blame a lack of financial resources, including people, is a straw horse. If the application fee needs to be $100k for new guests, then make it $100k and see how many guests respond to the invitation...because it would be their decision to evaluate. Shelving the RFP simply means their has been a change of mind over inviting new guests that might feel vested, just like the 2000 applicants are "on hold" rather than "turned down". Personally speaking, I think they are turned down because it was not stated upfront there would be an ability to achieve a degree of "standing" simply as a result of filing as part of the testbed. This did not materialize until after the fact and those interested parties that made the business decision not to file but instead wait until the next opportunity (for what are now quite obvious reasons of risk) were suddenly shafted...and that's a major flaw.

Because, as we sit here today, a problem that seems to have stymied this RFP process is that there might be new applicants that come forward applying for the same string as a testbed applicant. And ICANN could not get around this problem...including establishing a formal independent review process for those applicants from 3 years ago that rightfully requested as much. So, the Board has shelved it all together...no new invitations period that has little, in my mind, to do with "lack of resources" because the applicant foots this bill (applicant risk) and the Board could disallow any application recommended by the third party evaluation (applicant risk).

By the way, I think when there is talk about the "testbed is dead" that this means the unsuccessful 37 applicants will have to get back in line. Is this "right"? Is sitefinder "right"? Is there much in DNS that is "right"? Go talk to those that said it HAD TO BE "7-10" for this answer. But as far as processes are concerned, there were known risks in 2000 just as there were known risks with this RFP. Some would choose to participate, and some would walk away. What has been reneged upon is the agreement from the community to limit the testbed to 7-10 on the advice of the technical experts but where it was understood new opportunities to participate would be forthcoming. This has long been reneged upon. And, if one can't trust the processes then I am not sure how the entity responsible for the process can expect to be trusted in return, absent of honest explanation and without the straw horses....is my opinion. Because I could come up with a ton of better, more reasonable, reasons to shelve this RFP than what has been supplied for the community to accept....and I think most could do the same.

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Re:ICANN Board postponing further sTLDs by RFassett

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