"We spent three years throwing time and energy down the direct
election rat-hole," Sims said. "I think if Ira was more knowledgeable
about [ICANN's recent history] he would have been more generous in
his comments."
In 2000, ICANN's sole attempt to hold global online elections
resulted in the appointment of five board members (a minority on
ICANN's 19-member board) to serve five global regions. Two of those
elected members have been among ICANN's staunchest critics.
Lynn has argued that Internet elections -- the only sort ICANN can
reasonably afford -- are dangerous and subject to capture by special
interest groups.
Sims said ICANN's reform proposal, which calls for an internally
selected nominating committee to chose most of the ICANN board,
addresses concerns surrounding public representation without falling
into the pitfalls of direct elections.
Magaziner said while he did not think ICANN should become a
full-fledged global democracy modeled on the United Nations, it also
should avoid becoming too autocratic.
"A U.N. process would be too slow," he said. "On the other hand, to say
that a small group of people, whoever they are, can make decisions
without democratic processes goes too far the other way."
"I know [democratic processes] make it a less tidy process, but you
need it," he said.
Magaziner stopped short, however, of endorsing a proposal put forth
by some of today's speakers that would call for the Commerce
Department to re-bid the agreements under which ICANN operates the DNS.
"I'd hate to go back to where we were" before ICANN was created,
Magaziner said.
