I was asked off-list about my references to earlier comments on the 
registrants rights and responsibilities document.

I can't find them in the list archive (and I don't keep local copies of 
list traffic), but they would have been in the march/april timeframe.  I 
suppose this may have been during the list restructuring.  There were a 
couple of rounds, ending in a suggestion by Milton that a position paper 
be drafted, perhaps starting with that thread.

Among other things, I pointed out that the unilateral right to change 
terms (sound familiar?) without proactive notice to the registrant and 
without redline (change-bar) of what actually changes version to version 
makes any other right meaningless. Without proactive notice, the 
registrant will be ignorant (as typically changes are posted in some 
obscure part of the registrar's website).  Without redline, no-one will 
figure out what changed (as typically they simply post a complete 
replacement of a multi-page document in lawyerese - and often change 
formatting so even diff fails to show the differences.)  I also noted 
that we should insist that the registrant have a no-charge exit to 
another registrar if material changes adverse to the registrant are 
imposed.  There was more, but I'm not inclined to reconstruct it.

If someone saved that thread, perhaps the list administrators could 
insert it into the archive in the proper place.

Thanks.

Timothe Litt
ACM Distinguished Engineer
--------------------------
This communication may not represent the ACM or my employer's views,
if any, on the matters discussed.