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  1. Rinalia Abdul Rahim

    ICANN APRALO Workshop Report

     

    IGF 2012 Workshop #122 (9 November 2012)

    New gTLDs: Implications and Potential for Community Engagement, Advocacy and Development

     

    Organizers: ICANN APRALO & the DotKids Foundation.

    Moderator: Rinalia Abdul Rahim, ICANN At Large Advisory Committee

    Remote Moderator & Time Keeper: Bianca Ho, NetMission Ambassador

     

    Panelists:

    • Edmon Chung, DotAsia Organisation, Asia Pacific
    • Yannis Li, DotKids Foundation, Asia
    • Andrei Kolesnikov, Coordination Centre for TLD RU, Russia
    • Scott Seitz, DotGay, USA
    • Fouad Bajwa, Internet Policy Group at Oi2, Pakistan
    • Olga Cavali, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina
    • Cheryl Langdon-Orr, .au Domain Administration Ltd, Australia

     

    In the pending expansion of the Top Level Domain Space, ICANN has received close to 2000 new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) applications.  Of note is the low number of applications categorized as “community”-related (i.e., 84 community applications representing 4% of total applications).  Various contributing factors have been discussed to explain the phenomenon such as the problem of general awareness attributed to insufficient outreach efforts.  For communities, especially those from the developing world, few measures have been taken to facilitate their participation and engagement.  There is still a lack of awareness and understanding about the value of new gTLDs for communities and there are also specific challenges and barriers that serve to limit community adoption. 

     

    The workshop explored the following questions towards identifying the opportunities and challenges presented by new gTLDs for communities:

    1.     What is the value proposition of new TLDs for communities (i.e., the opportunities)?

    2.     What are the challenges in the uptake and sustainability of new TLDs for communities?

    3.     What type of support is needed to increase uptake and ensure sustainability?

    4.     What are the unique issues that apply for cross-border communities?

     

    The workshop discussion involved approximately 30 people and featured perspectives from representatives of communities that have applied for new gTLDs as well as views from regions around the world.  Highlights and main points are as follows:

     

    Opportunities/Value Proposition of new GTLDs for Communities

    • Raises awareness about the community (i.e., makes communities visible with the identity that they choose);
    • Builds the community (i.e., allows the community to connect and to be found by others who share the same or similar identity, which enhances community ties and network);
    • Supports community advocacy (i.e., raises awareness about the community’s interests, issues and concerns), which has implications for mobilization of support/resources;
    • Supports the safety needs of vulnerable communities (e.g., children and the gay community);
    • Allows for the development and provision of services specifically for the community and in particular those with special needs; and
    • Surplus revenue can be channeled to support community-development via Foundations.

     

    Adoption/Uptake Challenges for Communities

    • Complicated application process with high start-up cost (technical, marketing, advertising, community consultations, etc.);
    • Application process requires community endorsement, which is difficult to obtain without substantial prior engagement, consultation and mobilization of support;
    • Information about financial assistance was not widely circulated and financial support requirement is premised on demonstration of financial stability, which defeats the purpose of financial assistance;
    • Community-names taken up by companies, which requires dispute resolution; and
    • Availability of Second Level Domain Name opportunities.

     

    Support Needed for Sustainability

    • Availability of local registrars/partners to distribute names - vertical integration as a solution for this appears to be controversial;
    • Strategies for dealing with abuse of community domains; and
    • Partnerships that bring in critical components needed for successful application and implementation (technical expertise, financial support, outreach support, sustainable business models, etc), before, during and post delegation of TLDs.

     

    Unique Issues for Cross-Border Communities

    • Difficulty in identifying the boundary of cross-border communities that are global; and
    • Difficulty in obtaining financial support for community applications that are trying to serve a global community of people that reside in both developed and developing countries

     

    Recommendations for a new gTLD Remedial Round Targeted at Developing Countries and Under-Served Communities

    • Initiate an experimental fast track round with approximately 25 new gTLDs;
    • Revise the application process and guidebook based on weaknesses already identified by the community;
    • Provide for a sunset policy and process where new gTLDs can fail gracefully;
    • Adjust the requirement for financial stability in evaluating the need for financial support; and
    • Ensure that the community evaluation process allows for community consultation and mobilization to happen after the application has been approved.

     END