It's a telling quote. Well spotted, Norbert! j On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 11:19 PM, nhklein <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > ** > While I agree with Milton Mueller and others that we have to stay focused > on our NCSG concerns, I think they are clearly stated as NOT having been > central to the achievements of the outgoing ICANN CEO, as he says in the > press release: > > “I can summarize my time here in four words: strong execution, great > teambuilding,” he said. “We have > > built a world-class executive team, and elevated ICANN’s stature through > *strategic relationships with > governments, businesses, top technology firms and international > organizations.*” > > Is this the "Internet community"? > > > Norbert Klein > > > > > On 08/19/2011 04:05 AM, Milton L Mueller wrote: > > Maria > I did not say that it didn't matter who the CEO is. Of course it does. But > its a fact that NCUC/NSCG had its worst forms of persecution by ICANN staff > before Rod was CEO, and that little changed for us when he was hired. > > What I think we need to distance ourselves from are Kierens claims that Rod > took credit for things that others did and other kinds of personality > issues. Its just not relevant to us. > > Milton Mueller > Professor, Syracuse University School of Information Studies > > > -----Original message----- > > *From: *Maria Farrell <[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]>* > To: *Milton L Mueller <[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]>* > Cc: *"[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> > <[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]>* > Sent: *Thu, Aug 18, 2011 17:59:19 GMT+00:00* > Subject: *Re: Fwd: [council] Rod Beckstrom to leave ICANN at the end of > his term > > I have to disagree, Milton. > > For a start, Kieren resigned at his own behest. (I was fired though - and > I'm not in this for revenge but because I care about how the organisation > works.) He's not a vengeful guy and is demonstrably pursuing the same > arguments and issues he did before he ever worked for ICANN. > > But to the main point - that it doesn't matter who's running the ship - > the 'plague on all your houses' approach. Of course it matters who's in > charge. NCUC has, rightly, complained strenuously for several years about > being pushed aside by staff in favour of the at large and other gnso > constituencies. That's staff-directed policy and can change overnight, > depending on who runs the show. Even if we care less about the org as a > whole, there's still a clear benefit for ncuc in some types of ceo rather > than others. > > Which is not to be completely naive about it. The CEO is not going to > change our lives, here in NCUC, but she or he will have an impact and we can > have one back. > > 2011/8/18 Milton L Mueller <[log in to unmask]> > >> Kieren makes some worthwhile points here but you have to remember that >> Kieren was fired by Beckstrom, so he has a revenge motive in writing things >> like this. From NCSG’s point of view, a lot of this kind of stuff is a bunch >> of snarky disputes among insiders and doesn’t affect our status or the >> policies we care about much. >> >> --MM >> >> >> >> *From:* NCSG-Discuss [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of >> *Poomjit Sirawongprasert >> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 17, 2011 2:16 PM >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Subject:* Re: [NCSG-Discuss] Fwd: [council] Rod Beckstrom to leave ICANN >> at the end of his term >> >> >> >> How about his? >> >> ICANN fires its CEO >> http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/08/16/icann-fires-ceo >> ICANN fires its CEO >> >> by Kieren McCarthy | 16 Aug 2011 | >> >> The CEO of ICANN Rod Beckstrom has announced he is leaving the >> organization at the end of his contract. >> >> According to a tweet<http://twitter.com/#%21/RodBeckstrom/status/103607748717060096>sent out by Beckstrom at 4.20pm PST: “I have decided to wrap up my service >> at ICANN July 2012”, adding “Press release soon.” >> >> The press release<http://news.dot-nxt.com/sites/news.dot-nxt.com/files/release-16aug11-en.pdf>[pdf] followed 20 minutes later and comprised largely of Beckstrom listing >> his achievements in the first and third person. “I can summarize my time >> here in four words: strong execution, great team-building,” he was quoted as >> saying. >> >> Board chair Steve Crocker, who took over the post only two months ago, >> noted that: “The Board of Directors fully supports Rod through the >> completion of his July 2012 term.” >> >> Behind the pronouncements lies a different storyBehind the pronouncements >> lies a different story. It is well known in ICANN circles that there has >> been significant concern over Beckstrom’s performance for some time. And we >> understand that Beckstrom’s “decision” was made for him at a secret Board >> meeting earlier this month. >> >> Unlike the three other CEOs that have presided over ICANN in its 11-year >> history, Beckstrom lobbied hard to have his contract renewed, even giving a >> public speech at ICANN’s most recent meeting in Singapore in June listing >> what he had achieved as CEO. Accompanying today’s press release, somewhat >> bizarrely, is a separate PDF<http://news.dot-nxt.com/sites/news.dot-nxt.com/files/factsheet-beckstrom-accomplishments-16aug11-en.pdf>listing Beckstrom’s “notable accomplishments”. >> >> *Credit score* >> >> Ironically, it is Beckstrom’s attempt to personally attach himself to all >> the organization’s successes that is a major reason for his failure as an >> ICANN CEO: he is seen as too quick to claim credit for others’ work and to >> put personal promotion ahead of effective management. In two years in >> charge, almost the entire senior management team has left. Community >> questions as to why were met with obtuse reference to industry percentages. >> >> Having written a book lauding the power of leaderless structures over >> traditional hierarchy – the first likened to a starfish, the second to a >> spider – many were surprised when Beckstrom created an even stronger >> hierarchy within ICANN, with him as the head. And the bottleneck. >> >> Beckstrom’s claim to have encouraged “great team-building” were famously >> called into question at the organization’s meeting in San FranciscoBeckstrom’s >> claim to have encouraged “great team-building” were famously called into >> question at the organization’s meeting in San Francisco in March this >> year when former staff member Maria Farrell took the microphone during a >> public forum to announce her “profound disquiet about how the organization >> is operationally being managed” and talked of a "hollowing out of expertise” >> and a “climate of fear stalking the ICANN staff”. Her comments were met with >> prolonged applause. >> >> *Parachute* >> >> Likewise, Beckstrom’s most significant claim to have negotiated an >> historic agreement with the US government that saw ICANN gain greater >> autonomy is largely fanciful: he was in charge for less than three months >> before the agreement was signed, whereas negotiations had been going on for >> 18 months between ICAN >> > > > -- > A while ago, I started a new blog: > > ...thinking it over... after 21 years in Cambodiahttp://www.thinking21.org/ > > continuing to share reports and comments from Cambodia. > > Norbert [log in to unmask] > Phnom Penh / Cambodia > > > -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - http://isoc-ny.org -------------------------------------------------------------- -