Blog from September, 2015
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 28 September – 02 October 2015
Update 2: Wednesday added: 17:30 UTC At-Large ATLAS II Implementation Taskforce
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 28 September 2015
13:00 UTC: At-Large Capacity building Program – 2015: Eighth Webinar on the Topic: “Input of At-Large into the Transition/Accountability Process” https://community.icann.org/x/6ZZYAw
16:00 UTC: (At-Large) ALAC Subcommittee on Outreach and Engagement https://community.icann.org/x/2ZlYAw
Tuesday 29 September 2015
05:00 UTC: At-Large APRALO-APAC Hub Webinar – New gTLD program https://community.icann.org/x/nIVYAw
14:00 UTC: GNSO PPSAI WG https://community.icann.org/x/9 iCfAg
18:00 UTC: At-Large Regional Secretariats Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/PptYAw
19:00 UTC CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
21:00 UTC: GNSO DMPM https://community.icann.org/x/myt-Ag
Wednesday 30 September 2015
17:30 UTC At-Large ATLAS II Implementation Taskforce https://community.icann.org/x/mpxYAw
Thursday 01 October 2015
11:00 UTC: CWG IANA Stewardship Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
13:00 UTC At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/qppYAw
15:00 UTC: At-Large Ad-Hoc New Meeting Strategy Working Party https://community.icann.org/x/U45YAw
Friday 02 October 2015
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls:staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine and Terri Agnew
ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-09-28-en
What to Expect at ICANN54: A Guide for Business Stakeholders
28 September 2015
RSVP via this form by 5 October 2015
This webinar is an introduction to ICANN and the Commercial Stakeholder Group. It is designed for people in the business world who are new to the ICANN Community and interested in the upcoming ICANN54 Public Meeting in Dublin, Ireland taking place on 18-22 October 2015.
When: Tuesday, 6 October 2015
13:00-14:00 UTC
Where: Adobe Connect
Topics:
- The ICANN54 Public Meeting in Dublin and sessions of interest
- Opportunities to follow, participate and join the work of business stakeholders in their various constituency groups
- The latest topics in the Internet domain name and addressing systems
Speakers:
The ICANN global business engagement team and regional engagement team for Europe, and representatives from the Commercial Stakeholder Group of the ICANN Generic Names Supporting Organization.
How to join:
To RSVP and learn how to access the webinar please complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Nc3PKx7vARR_hPffuMWec9oH784h69Die7lZhjhtjIY/viewform?c=0&w=1 or send an email to businessengagement@icann.org including your name, email address, affiliation, and country.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-09-28-en
What to Expect at ICANN54: A Guide for Business Stakeholders
28 September 2015
RSVP via this form by 5 October 2015
This webinar is an introduction to ICANN and the Commercial Stakeholder Group. It is designed for people in the business world who are new to the ICANN Community and interested in the upcoming ICANN54 Public Meeting in Dublin, Ireland taking place on 18-22 October 2015.
When: Tuesday, 6 October 2015
13:00-14:00 UTC
Where: Adobe Connect
Topics:
- The ICANN54 Public Meeting in Dublin and sessions of interest
- Opportunities to follow, participate and join the work of business stakeholders in their various constituency groups
- The latest topics in the Internet domain name and addressing systems
Speakers:
The ICANN global business engagement team and regional engagement team for Europe, and representatives from the Commercial Stakeholder Group of the ICANN Generic Names Supporting Organization.
How to join:
To RSVP and learn how to access the webinar please complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Nc3PKx7vARR_hPffuMWec9oH784h69Die7lZhjhtjIY/viewform?c=0&w=1 or send an email to businessengagement@icann.org including your name, email address, affiliation, and country.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-09-28-en
ICANN Announces Phase One Results from Economic Study Evaluating Competition in the Domain Name Space
28 September 2015
ICANN today published the findings from the "Phase 1 Assessment of the Competitive Effects Associated with the New gTLD Program," [PDF, 966 KB] setting a baseline for measuring competition in the domain name marketplace to be compared against changes that may be found a year later. The study, conducted by Analysis Group, is in response to three recommended metrics that the ICANN Board has adopted for inclusion in the competition, consumer choice and consumer trust review of the New gTLD Program, as mandated by the Affirmation of Commitments. ICANN invites public comments on the report. The comments will be used to guide Phase 2, which will be conducted in approximately a year's time to determine if there are changes or trends in the marketplace.
Analysis Group reports several key findings:
- The majority of domain name registrations are accounted for by legacy TLDs. However, registration shares across registries, and across registrars, are more dispersed for new gTLDs as compared to legacy TLDs.
- Wholesale price dispersion is greater in new gTLDs than among gTLDs that existed prior to the New gTLD Program's expansion of the domain name system.
- When add-on products offered by registrars are considered, such as email and web hosting, the cost of registering a domain name is a relatively small part of the total cost of creating a website.
- Among add-on products, some display very little price dispersion across registrars (e.g., forwarding services) while others have much more variation (e.g., services designed to assist customers in building websites).
The report included several major analyses of pricing, including in the wholesale and retail markets, as well as sunrise pricing. To establish a baseline, Analysis Group has used the following analyses:
- Price dispersion: These evaluations explored dispersion among several dimensions – sunset prices, wholesale prices, retail prices, mark-ups, and add-on pricing.
- Price index: Average prices from a sample of TLDs were used to create a price index, both weighted and unweighted, which allows for broader comparisons across TLDs.
- Registration distributions: Exploring trends in registration volumes allows for insights into the impact pricing has on consumers' buying decisions.
To prepare for this review, ICANN's stakeholder community recommended a list of metrics and definitions to help inform consideration of these areas. The recommendations from the Implementation Advisory Group on Competition, Consumer Choice and Consumer Trust (IAG-CCT) included 66 metrics, of which a subset of three were identified as best being measured via a study of competition in the domain name marketplace before and after the expansion of the DNS. ICANN conducted an open RFP and signed a contract in February 2015 with Analysis Group to conduct the study.
About the Phase 1 Assessment of the Competitive Effects Associated with the New gTLD Program
In order to establish a baseline of competitive effects in the domain name market place, Analysis Group compiled pricing data from a sample of TLDs, representing 81.4% of all domain name registrations as of March 2015. The sample included data from 109 new gTLDs, 14 so-called legacy gTLDs which existed prior to the launch of the New gTLD Program in October 2013 and 15 ccTLDs to ensure geographic diversity. Registration counts were based on transaction reports registry operators submit to ICANN. Only those TLDs that were open to the general public for domain name registrations were included in the sample. The sample represents 59 unique registry operators, which directly provided Analysis Group both wholesale and retail pricing data. It also includes data from the websites of 39 registrars.
Analysis Group directly collected, aggregated and anonymized all pricing data included in the study. Neither ICANN nor any party outside Analysis Group have access to this data set.
Data sources will be revisited in a year's time to allow for a comparison with these baseline findings.
Supporting Materials
- Phase 1 Assessment of the Competitive Effects Associated with ICANN's New gTLD Program [PDF, 966 KB]
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Request for Public Comments
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet's unique identifiers. ICANN doesn't control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn't deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination role of the Internet's naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.
ICANN Weekly Newsletter
News from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
http://www.icann.org/Week ending 25 September 2015
Announcements This Week
Request for Proposal: Study about the DNS Marketplace in Latin America and the Caribbean
25 September 2015
Final Report from the Expert Working Group on Internationalized Registration Data (WHOIS)
25 September 2015
ICANN 2015 Nominating Committee Announces Selections
25 September 2015
ICANN Releases Phase One Registrant Survey on the Domain Name Landscape
25 September 2015
Transfer Policy Implementation Update
24 September 2015
Asunción's National University and ICANN Work Together to Enhance Latin American Internet Infrastructure
24 September 2015
Draft of New gTLD Program Implementation Review Available for Public Comment
23 September 2015
ICANN Quarterly Stakeholder Report – Register for the FY16 Q1 call on 6 October 2015
23 September 2015
WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System (ARS) Criteria Updated to Include Operability Testing Criteria
22 September 2015
Webinar on New gTLD Auction Proceeds Discussion Paper on Wednesday 7 October at 13.00 UTC
21 September 2015
Upcoming Events
18-22 October 2015: 54th International Public ICANN Meeting – Dublin
About ICANN
Our bylaws are very important to us. They capture our mission of security, stability and accessibility, and compel the organization to be open and transparent. Learn more at www.ICANN.org.
ICANN FY16 Operating Plan and Budget
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 28 September – 02 October 2015
Update 1: corrected date from Thursday to Tuesday 18:00 UTC: At-Large Regional Secretariats Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/PptYAw
Tuesday, removed 11:00 UTC: CWG IANA Stewardship Meeting
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 28 September 2015
13:00 UTC: At-Large Capacity building Program – 2015: Eighth Webinar on the Topic: “Input of At-Large into the Transition/Accountability Process” https://community.icann.org/x/6ZZYAw
16:00 UTC: (At-Large) ALAC Subcommittee on Outreach and Engagement https://community.icann.org/x/2ZlYAw
Tuesday 29 September 2015
05:00 UTC: At-Large APRALO-APAC Hub Webinar – New gTLD program https://community.icann.org/x/nIVYAw
14:00 UTC: GNSO PPSAI WG https://community.icann.org/x/9 iCfAg
18:00 UTC: At-Large Regional Secretariats Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/PptYAw
19:00 UTC CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
21:00 UTC: GNSO DMPM https://community.icann.org/x/myt-Ag
Wednesday 30 September 2015
None
Thursday 01 October 2015
11:00 UTC: CWG IANA Stewardship Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
13:00 UTC At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/qppYAw
15:00 UTC: At-Large Ad-Hoc New Meeting Strategy Working Party https://community.icann.org/x/U45YAw
Friday 02 October 2015
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls:staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine and Terri Agnew
ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-09-25-en
ICANN Releases Phase One Registrant Survey on the Domain Name Landscape
25 September 2015
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today published the findings of its first Global Registrant Survey, which was conducted on its behalf by Nielsen. The study demonstrates, among other things, that domain name registrants are more familiar with new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) than general Internet users who have not registered a domain. Survey participants were questioned about their awareness of new gTLDs, as well as their perceived sense of choice, experience and trust related to the current gTLD landscape. The study completes phase one of a series of ICANN-commissioned surveys intended to inform a review of competition, consumer trust and consumer choice (CCT) in the Domain Name System. A second phase, which will be launched in approximately one year, will serve as a comparison to these baseline findings.
Nielsen surveyed 3,357 domain name registrants aged 18+ in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The survey was administered in 17 languages and participants were drawn from 24 countries. The research, conducted in two waves between February and August 2015, was designed to create a meaningful baseline of data on registrant attitudes regarding new generic top-level domains.
"This survey provides us with a better understanding with how registrants view the domain name space and Internet and will help inform future reviews of the program," says Akram Atallah, president of ICANN's Global Domains Division.
Along with the Global Consumer Survey, whose results were published in May 2015, ICANN commissioned this survey in response to recommendations from the Implementation Advisory Group on Competition, Consumer Choice and Consumer Trust (IAG-CCT). Among the 66 metrics [PDF, 472 KB] recommended, a subset of 11 were identified as best being measured using a global survey of Internet users. ICANN conducted an open RFP and signed a contract with Nielsen to conduct the study in November 2014. The findings will be a key input for the CCT Review Team to consider.
Awareness of new gTLDs high among registrants, particularly in Asia
Awareness of new gTLDs is higher among registrants than among general Internet users – 65 percent of registrants reported awareness of at least one new gTLD versus 46 percent of general Internet users. Interestingly, while 65 percent of general Internet users said they had visited a domain in a new gTLD, 64 percent of registrants reported the same.
Asia stands out when it comes to awareness – 70 percent of those surveyed said they were aware of at least one new gTLD. Only South America comes close to that level of awareness, with 66 percent of respondents from the region indicating familiarity with at least one new gTLD.
More registrants also said they're likely to consider a new gTLD for registering domain names in the future – 61 percent versus 52 percent of Internet users. As with Internet users, the top three choices for registering a new gTLD name were .EMAIL, .LINK and .CLUB, which were selected from a fixed list of new gTLDs.
Registrants generally trust the domain name industry
Registrants and general Internet users generally place the same levels of trust in new gTLDs and the domain name industry, with some slight differences. Registrants are slightly less trustful (70 percent of registrants versus 73 percent of general Internet users) that entities will take precautions regarding who gets a domain name, but are slightly more trustful (75 percent of registrants versus 71 percent of general Internet users) that those same entities will give general Internet users what they think they're getting.
Unsurprisingly, registrants across the board favor no or few purchase restrictions on domain names in new gTLDs.
Registrants aware and cautious of abusive behavior online
Abusive Internet behavior, including spam, malware, phishing and cybersquatting are a concern for domain name registrants. Awareness among general Internet users and registrants is comparable, with registrants reporting slightly more familiarity with stolen credentials (71 percent for registrants versus 67 percent for general Internet users) and cyber squatting (54 percent for registrants versus 40 percent for general Internet users.) Across the board, registrants also report more personal experience with abusive behaviors included in the survey: phishing, spamming, cyber squatting, stolen credentials and malware.
Perhaps because of greater familiarity with abusive behavior online, registrants as a group reported less fear of falling victim to abusive behaviors online. To combat their concerns, registrants are more likely than average Internet users to change their Internet habits, purchase an identity protection plan or simply stop making purchases online. The only strategy registrants are less likely to pursue than general Internet users is to purchase antivirus software for their computers to combat phishing or cyber squatting.
Who's registering domain names?
The registrants surveyed said they primarily register domain names for personal or small business use. The survey, which was only open to those who had registered at least one domain name, showed that registrants surveyed are mostly male (62 percent) compared to general Internet users surveyed, whose male audience made up 55 percent of the consumer survey sample. Registrants surveyed also skewed younger, with 70 percent under the age of 45, similar to the consumer survey, where 68 percent of the sample population was comprised of those under 45.
.COM, .NET and .ORG were the most registered TLDs cited in the survey, gaining 72 percent, 31 percent, and 23 percent respectively of the names registrants reported holding. .COM was cited most in North America with 84 percent of the sample reporting registering a name in that TLD, while only 53 percent reported holding .COM names in Europe.
While 80 percent of those surveyed said they had one to five domain names registered, only 40 percent indicated they registered duplicate domain names in different TLDs, with the highest number of duplicate domain registrations reported in North America (46 percent of the sample). Nearly half (49 percent) said a TLD's familiarity was the main factor in choosing which TLD to purchase.
Additional study highlights include:
- Registrants say a well-known TLD is a key factor in determining which domain name to purchase – more important than a reasonable price.
- 61 percent of registrants find it very or somewhat easy to register a domain name. That figure rises to 76 percent in North America and 66 percent in Europe.
- About half of registrants would prefer a cheaper, quicker, less complicated experience when purchasing a domain name, as well as a notable desire to make the process of registering in multiple TLDs easier.
About the Global Registrant Survey and Supporting Materials
The Global Registrant Survey was conducted by Nielsen on behalf of ICANN. The data collection phase of the survey took place from February 19 to August 13 2015, and the final report was delivered in September 2015. A total of 3,357 domain name registrants aged 18+ representing Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America were selected based on ever registering a domain name and being a decision maker in domain name registration decisions meaning they were aware of the purpose of the domain name and in which TLDs the name had been registered. The survey was administered in 17 languages and drawn from registrants in 24 countries. In addition, significance testing was performed at a 95 percent confidence level throughout the report.
More than 700 new gTLDs have been delegated since the launch of the program in October 2013. To gauge perceptions of the new gTLDs, the survey focused on the new gTLDs with the greatest number of registrations at the time the questions were developed in January 2015 – .EMAIL, .PHOTOGRAPHY, .LINK, .GURU, .REALTOR, .CLUB, .XYZ and a regionally relevant TLD, including internationalized domain names (IDNs).
Supporting Materials
Registrant Survey
- Global Registrant Survey Full Report [PDF, 2.53 MB]
- Registrant Survey Data Tables by Region [PDF, 3.83 MB]
- Registrant Survey Data Tables by Country [PDF, 3.54 MB]
- Frequently Asked Questions
Consumer Survey
- Global Consumer Survey Full Report [PDF, 2.48 MB]
- Consumer Survey Data Tables by Region [PDF, 5.03 MB]
- Consumer Survey Data Tables by Country [PDF, 4.78 MB]
- Guide to Data Tables [PDF, 572 KB]
- Frequently Asked Questions
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet's unique identifiers. ICANN doesn't control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn't deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination role of the Internet's naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-4-2015-09-25-en
Request for Proposal: Study About the DNS Marketplace in Latin America and the Caribbean
25 September 2015
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") is seeking a provider to conduct a study on the domain name industry in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. The goal of this study is to identify and define the strengths and weaknesses in the industry ecosystem within the region, and develop recommendations on how to advance the industry and bring it closer to the opportunities available.
The ICANN's Latin America and the Caribbean Strategic Plan defined four key areas of interest as strategic focus for the region. Two of those, namely Capacity Building and Outreach; and Economic Issues contemplate aspects to further develop the domain name industry.
The study at a minimum will investigate the current state of the Internet and the domain name industry in the region, define best practices that have made an impact in domain name market growth, look at the broader ecosystem of the Internet infrastructure and online services and describe the impact of such elements on the overall evolution of the domain name industry, describe the business potential in the domain name industry in this region, and provide suggestions on how to develop the industry and what business models can be adopted in the entire industry chain. The study will include data, analysis, and recommendations.
The final report of the study is to be delivered no later than 18th April 2016.
For additional information and instructions for submitting responses please click here [ZIP, 407 KB].
Proposals should be submitted to LAC-DNS-Study-rfp@icann.org by 23:59 UTC on 23 October 2015.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-09-25-en
ICANN 2015 Nominating Committee Announces Selections
25 September 2015
The ICANN 2015 Nominating Committee (NomCom) is pleased to announce its selections for nine leadership positions within ICANN. (See alphabetized list for each ICANN body below)
ICANN Board of Directors
Rafael Ibarra
Latin America/Caribbean Islands
George Sadowsky
North America
Lousewies van der Laan
Europe
At Large Advisory Committee (ALAC)
Timothy Denton
North America
Kaili Kan
Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands
Leon Sanchez
Latin America/Caribbean Islands
Dahmani Wafa
Africa
Council of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO)
Johan Helsingius
Europe
Hsu Phen Valerie Tan
Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands
Council of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
Christelle Vaval
Latin America/Caribbean Islands
Those selected will take up their positions after the end of ICANN's Annual General Meeting, which will take place during the ICANN Public Meeting scheduled for 18-22 October 2015 in Dublin, Ireland.
The NomCom is charged with recruiting and selecting a portion of ICANN's leadership. The NomCom is mandated to ensure that ICANN's overall leadership is diverse in geography, culture, skills, experience and perspective. The basic criteria is that selectees are people of integrity, objectivity, sound judgment, support decision-making within groups, work effectively in English, understand ICANN's mission and operation, are committed to its success, have experience in world affairs, contribute to cultural, professional and geographic expertise, and can work long and hard, generally as volunteers, for the global public trust.
An independent body at the community's service
Discussing the 2015 Nominating Committee results, Stephane Van Gelder, the Chair of the 2015 NomCom, shared the following:
"As Chair, it is my honor, pleasure and duty to report that the 2015 Nominating Committee has completed the task assigned to it by the ICANN Community and made the selections shown above.
By the close of the application period on 15 March 2015, the 2015 Nominating Committee had received 81 applications for the nine positions it was tasked with filling.
Once this work was completed, the 2015 Nominating Committee was then called upon to select a replacement for the position of North American ALAC representative, following the resignation of its previous selectee to that position and received nine applications for that position.
I want to thank the Nominating Committee members for working diligently through these two separate processes. It is rare that a NomCom gets called back to reselect for another position once its main slate for the cycle has been decided. This year's members had to withstand the added pressure of this late selection, whilst continuing to work as a group fully independent of ICANN's SOs, ACs and the Board. They rose to this challenge and completed their assigned tasks with aplomb and integrity.
Throughout the year, the Committee has reported on its processes through Report Cards, video updates and documents published on its webpage (https://www.icann.org/nomcom2015).
During this year's Annual General Meeting in Dublin in October, the Committee will present the ICANN Community with a Final Report detailing its work and providing in-depth data on the applications received."
Regional Breakdown
As noted above, the 2015 NomCom received 81 Statements of Interest from candidates all over the world (12 female and 69 male) during its open nomination period from 8 December 2014 to 15 March 2015.
The regional breakdown of this year's candidates is:
22 from Africa
10 from Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands
19 from Europe
22 from Latin America/Caribbean Islands
8 from North America
ALAC North America Region Selection Process
9 Candidates from Canada and the United State of America
1 female
8 male
For more information about the NomCom, please visit http://nomcom.icann.org/
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-3-2015-09-25-en
Final Report from the Expert Working Group on Internationalized Registration Data (WHOIS)
25 September 2015
ICANN today published the Final Report [PDF, 668 KB] from the Expert Working Group on Internationalized Registration Data (WHOIS) that was tasked with determining submission and display requirements for internationalized registration data (IRD) and producing a data model for the IRD that matches the requirements. This report represents a significant milestone towards ICANN's goal of internationalizing the WHOIS service with respect to data of global registrants.
Internationalization Principles Identified
Convened at the request of the ICANN Board in response to the WHOIS Review Team's recommendations, the Final Report [PDF, 668 KB] identifies specific principles to guide the internationalization of registration data. These are:
- User Capability Principle: In defining a requirement for a particular data element or category of data elements, the capability of the data-submitting user should be the constraining factor.
- Simplicity and Reusability Principle: Where possible, existing standards that are widely used for handling internationalized data should be applied.
- Extensibility - Where possible, the data model should be able to be easily extended to tailor to the evolution of data elements displayed by directory services for various TLD registries and registrars.
High Level Requirements Proposed
Based on these principles, the IRD Working Group proposes two high level requirements for community consideration:
- Registrants should only be required to input registration data in a languages or scripts that they are skilled at
- Unless explicitly stated, all data elements should be tagged with languages and scripts in use, and this information should always be available with the data elements.
Proposed Data Model and Requirements for Data Elements
The IRD Working was also tasked with producing a data model to support the proposed requirements for internationalization of registration data. The Final Report [PDF, 668 KB] categorized the common registration data elements into twelve groups and proposed the internationalization requirements for each category.
The full report can be found here [PDF, 668 KB].
Background
One of ICANN's key initiatives is to improve the WHOIS service. The formation of the IRD Working Group to address the internationalized registration data is related to the activities under way to implement the recommendations of the ICANN WHOIS Policy Review Team Final Report [PDF, 1.44 MB] as adopted by the ICANN Board. More information on the status of these improvements is posted here.
WHOIS Review Team Internationalized Registration Data Expert Working Group (WHOIS RT IRD WG) was chartered to determine the requirements for internationalized registration data, and produce a data model that matches the requirement.
Next Steps
Since there may be policy implications raised by its proposals, the IRD Working Group recommends that the Board send the Final Report [PDF, 668 KB] to the GNSO for appropriate follow-up. The IRD Working Group's recommendations may become the basis for further policy development and/or contractual framework for gTLDs.
For more information on WHOIS generally, please visit whois.icann.org.
Hello All,
Please find below the list of At-Large and GNSO WG meetings in which At-Large members are participants for the week of 28 September – 02 October 2015
Updates will follow as Doodles close.
Monday 28 September 2015
13:00 UTC: At-Large Capacity building Program – 2015: Eighth Webinar on the Topic: “Input of At-Large into the Transition/Accountability Process” https://community.icann.org/x/6ZZYAw
16:00 UTC: (At-Large) ALAC Subcommittee on Outreach and Engagement https://community.icann.org/x/2ZlYAw
Tuesday 29 September 2015
05:00 UTC: At-Large APRALO-APAC Hub Webinar – New gTLD program https://community.icann.org/x/nIVYAw
11:00 UTC: CWG IANA Stewardship Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
14:00 UTC: GNSO PPSAI WG https://community.icann.org/x/9 iCfAg
19:00 UTC CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/ogDxAg
21:00 UTC: GNSO DMPM https://community.icann.org/x/myt-Ag
Wednesday 30 September 2015
None
Thursday 01 October 2015
11:00 UTC: CWG IANA Stewardship Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/37fhAg
13:00 UTC At-Large Ad-hoc WG on IANA Transition & ICANN Accountability https://community.icann.org/x/qppYAw
15:00 UTC: At-Large Ad-Hoc New Meeting Strategy Working Party https://community.icann.org/x/U45YAw
18:00 UTC: At-Large Regional Secretariats Meeting https://community.icann.org/x/PptYAw
Friday 02 October 2015
None
Please confirm your dial-out requests
For GNSO calls: GNSO Secretariats gnso-secs@icann.org
For At-Large calls:staff@atlarge.icann.org
For CWG IANA Stewardship Brenda.Brewer@icann.org
For CCWG on Enhancing ICANN Accountability:acct-staff@icann.org
For CCWG-IG renate.dewulf@icann.org
Thank you.
Regards,
Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine and Terri Agnew
ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC
E-mail: staff@atlarge.icann.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icannatlarge
Twitter: @ICANNAtLarge
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-09-24-en
Transfer Policy Implementation Update
24 September 2015
ICANN announces the implementation of amendments to the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy, which is being renamed as the "Transfer Policy." In addition to rules related to inter-registrar transfers, the updated Transfer Policy now sets policy requirements for transfers between registrants. It will also impose new conditions for the expiration of the Form of Authorization used by registrars in inter-registrar transfers.
The amended Transfer Policy is applicable to all gTLD names and ICANN-accredited registrars. These new requirements will take effect and will be enforced by ICANN beginning on 1 August 2016.
The GNSO Council unanimously voted to approve the consensus policy recommendations of the IRTP Working Group C on 17 October 2012. The ICANN Board adopted the recommendations of the GNSO Council on 20 December 2012. ICANN worked in consultation with the GNSO Implementation Review Team, which was formed as directed by the GNSO Council to work with ICANN, to ensure that the resultant implementation fulfills the intentions of the approved policy recommendations. The draft policy went through public comment on 30 March 2015.
The new policy requirements include:
- "Change of Registrant" is now a defined term, meaning a material change to the registrant's name, organization or email address, or the administrative contact's email address if there is no registrant email address.
- Registrars must use a secure mechanism to confirm that both the prior registrant and new registrant have consented to any Change of Registrant.
- Registrars must notify the prior registrant and new registrant of a Change of Registrant and provide the notice described in the policy which includes, for example, an explanation of the request, information on how to approve of cancel the change of registrant, etc.
- Registrars must process the Change of Registrant within one (1) day of receiving the confirmation of Change of Registrant from the prior registrant and the new registrant.
- Registrars must impose a 60-day inter-registrar transfer lock following a Change of Registrant but registrars may allow registered name holders to opt out of the lock prior to any Change of Registrant request.
- The Form of Authorization used by gaining registrars, labeled "Initial Authorization for Registrar Transfer" shall expire under the following circumstances:
- A period of 60 days has passed since the FOA was sent by the gaining registrar (unless the registrar allows automatic renewal of FOAs)
- The domain name expires before the transfer is completed.
- A Change of Registrant is completed.
- The inter-registrar transfer is completed.
A redline version of the policy showing changes can be found here: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/transfer-policy-redline-24sep15-en.pdf [PDF, 243 KB]
An updated version of the Transfer Policy can be found here: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/transfer-policy-2015-09-24-en
Questions about this policy change may be directed to globalsupport@icann.org.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-09-24-en
Asunción's National University and ICANN Work Together to Enhance Latin American Internet Infrastructure
First DNS L-root instance in Paraguay will provide greater Internet reliability for regional Internet users
24 September 2015
[Photo: Ignacio Velázquez Guachire, UNA and Rodrigo de la Parra, ICANN]
The first L-Root instance in Paraguay has been successfully installed in Asunción, and will enhance the stability, security and resiliency of the Internet for users throughout Latin America.
"We are incredibly excited to announce the implementation of this new L-Root instance in Asunción," said Rodrigo de la Parra, ICANN's Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Joint ventures like these are a critical part of both increasing regional Internet infrastructure and strengthening the global DNS."
The launch of the L-Root instance is a joint operation between ICANN and Paraguay's National Computing Center of the National University of Asunción (Centro Nacional de Computación, Universidad Nacional de Asunción - UNA).
"This new L-Root instance will strengthen Internet infrastructure, offering greater efficiency, stability and security, in addition to an overall improved Internet experience throughout Paraguay," said Ignacio Velázquez Guachire, General Director of the National Computing Center of the UNA. "We thank ICANN's managers and their technical confidence in NIC.py to be the custodians of this first L-Root instance in our country, which demonstrates the continued cooperation for the development of the region's Internet."
Beyond just helping mitigate certain network outages, this new L-Root instance will improve response times for the rapidly growing Internet community in Paraguay and the Latin American and Caribbean region as a whole.
"ICANN is pleased to see the first L-Root instances in Paraguay. We appreciate the tremendous effort from Asunción's national university in hosting the L-Root. This effort speaks volumes to their commitment to both the Domain Name System and the stability and resiliency of the global Internet, and that of their own Internet experience." said Terry Manderson, Director of DNS Engineering at ICANN.
There are 13 "root" DNS servers, identified by alphabetic letters A through M - the "L" root server operated by ICANN being one. Computers typically communicate with each other using numeric addresses, while humans find it easier to use and remember names (for instance, users typically remember the domain name "ICANN.ORG" more easily than the Internet Protocol address, 2620:0:2d0:200::7).
The DNS translates names into addresses and the root servers, such as the one installed in Asunción, provide the pointers to the servers for top-level domains (the last part of domain names, such as the "ORG" in "ICANN.ORG"). Spreading this root information geographically by duplicating the root servers in various locations leads to a resilient, dispersed system that reduces the risk of being taken offline by a problem or attack and reduces the time it takes to look up names on the Internet.
For more information about L-Root, please visit www.dns.icann.org/.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2-2015-09-23-en
Draft of New gTLD Program Implementation Review Available for Public Comment
23 September 2015 – ICANN today announced the publication of the draft New gTLD Program Implementation Review, a self-assessment of the implementation of New gTLD Program processes. The draft report is available for public comment through 7 December 2015.
Read the draft Program Implementation Review report [PDF, 2.48 MB].
The report is ICANN's assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of its implementation of the program, and is intended to help inform a community review team's assessment of the application and evaluation processes. This document is intended to share ICANN's perspective on the execution of the New gTLD Program, but as part of the review, ICANN considered feedback from the many stakeholders who played a major role in the program, including applicants, service providers and other members of the community.
With the draft report now published for public comment, ICANN is seeking additional input from stakeholders. This stakeholder feedback will be considered before the report is finalized.
"This review is one of several planned sets of assessments and activities to help measure our progress against the goals of the New gTLD Program," said Akram Atallah, president of ICANN's Global Domains Division. "Once the community has a chance to provide comments, we'll use the findings to help shape future rounds of the program."
In implementing the New gTLD Program and reflecting upon the challenges of execution, ICANN has identified several areas that may benefit from further work and discussion.
The Program Implementation Review report supports one of several reviews intended to help measure how the New gTLD Program is promoting competition, consumer choice, and consumer trust.
# # #
About ICANN
ICANN's mission is to ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet's unique identifiers. ICANN doesn't control content on the Internet. It cannot stop spam and it doesn't deal with access to the Internet. But through its coordination role of the Internet's naming system, it does have an important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet. For more information please visit: www.icann.org.
News Alert
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-09-22-en
WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System (ARS) Criteria Updated to Include Operability Testing Criteria
22 September 2015 – ICANN today published an updated version of the WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System (ARS) testing criteria. The updated version includes both the syntax criteria as well as the operability (operational) criteria for testing the accuracy of email addresses, phone numbers and postal addresses in WHOIS records. These criteria will be used for Phase 2 of the WHOIS ARS, which is currently underway. The first Phase 2 report, which will provide accuracy estimates for both syntax and operability accuracy of WHOIS records in the gTLD space, is anticipated to be published in December 2015.
Background
ICANN reviews the WHOIS Program every three years as part of its Affirmation of Commitments (AoC). On 8 November 2012, the ICANN board approved a series of improvements to the manner in which ICANN carries out its oversight of the WHOIS Program based on recommendations made by the 2012 WHOIS Review Team. As part of these improvements, ICANN committed to proactively identifying potentially inaccurate gTLD WHOIS contact data and forwarding these records to registrars for investigation and follow-up. To accomplish these tasks, ICANN initiated the development of the WHOIS Accuracy Reporting System. Throughout the development ICANN has consulted and collaborated with the community.
The ARS is intended to lead to improvements over time in the accuracy of WHOIS data, which will be examined in subsequent ARS reports. The Phase 1 report, which focused exclusively on the syntax of WHOIS records, was released in August 2015.
