A warm welcome to all our new members. On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 9:54 PM, Jorge Amodio <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> So is NCUC the fastest growing organization in ICANN, except perhaps for the >> TLD applicant pool? > > I believe NCUC is becoming a better "place" where we can share our thoughts > and ideas, and provide comments that while they can be interpreted as criticism > are only intended to make of ICANN a better organization. I believe my below comments make ICANN more inclusive of folks deep down the trenches. > Sometimes it seems that in other groups some particular subjects are taboo > or there are things or issues that nobody over there wants to hear or have the > guts to say. I am generous with my opinion, sometimes need someone to tell to shut-up ;) > It would be interesting, like as you did when joining NCUC, to have a brief > statement from the folks that join NCUC, so we get to know each other > better (at least virtually) and the reasons why they joined NCUC. > I joined NCUC upon my realisation that overly praised "Public-Private-Partnership" had so far failed (and is poised to continue failing) to deliver universal access and affordable internet and communications to everyone in Kenya. Whereas government(public interest) and commercial (private interest) are supposed to be quite distinct, apparently the two often seem to arrive at price high prices common grounds - higher taxes and increase bottom lines. Thus consumers carried corporate profits on one shoulder and government taxes on the other shoulder end-up with additional married interests atop their heads. This situation then leaves them with neither to turn to for prices relief. For example, and despite all those great market-forces theories, telecommunications liberalization actually resulted in very high prices increases in Kenya and Tanzania. (calls rose from 1 shilling per minute up as high as 50 shillings per minute. Today's average is 7 shillings and this affects many on dial up internet. ICANN Policies on , for example, costly spam <http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23may08-en.htm> are relevant to us) among others, extending to internet (connectivity and domain) pricing, policy formulation at local, regional and at ICANN policy formulation level. And since NCUC guaranteed direct access to ICANN to *all* internet policies in order to benefit the consumer, said well and good! Decided to join NCUC and "start-from-the-top" if that guaranteed internet consumer-friendlier policies will trickle down to all global locals, at bottom. This way "the three pillars" government, business and users can now discuss surrounding policies on an equal footing - not at the the current weak scenario if not a deliberate by design structural exclusion of consumers from internet policy decisions-making. It is our experience that those two ever claim to be in partnership working for the best interests of the individual internet user. Regards, Alex