Re: The King is Dead! No More Kings Thanks Very Much...

[tor@wtv.net (World TeleVirtual Network)]

I wrote:
> That Postel has a personality cult going
> here shouldn't be a shock. That Postel's
> flunkies - I can't think of a better way
> to describe them - will support anything
> the guy says no matter how dumb should not
> also be a shock.

Andi replied:
>First of all, I'd like to point out that one of the criticisms constantly
>levelled against the IAHC proposal is that it directly went against the
>original plans of Jon Postel. He (through IANA) commissioned the ad-hoc
>committee to write a study on the best way to implement his original draft,
>presumably making whatever changes were necessary. Instead, they created an
>entirely new draft that was almost the opposite of what he had initially
>proposed (in some ways better, in other ways worse), and took it upon
>themselves to begin implementing their own proposal.
>
>As I understand it, there is some question about how Mr. Postel feels about
>the current situation, and he's basically chosen to wait and see how it
>turns out, giving only the weakest of support. This doesn't sound like a
>cult of personality revolving around him...

 Postel has had ample opportunity
 both to comment and moderate the
 current chaos. Silence, alas, has
 been interpreted by the many fans
 (often slavish fans!) as support
 if the IAHC/gTLD-MoU. Many of the
 veteren system administrators and
 their disciples are tacitly supporting
 this flawed process primarily because
 Postel is not pissing on it but making
 warm, quiet noises about it all.

 Beyond the issue of JP's cult of
 personailty - and I still contend
 it is a strong influence out there -
 is how no-one else has been able to
 "point" this debate and permanently
 deflate all the power-grabbers and
 fly by nighter solutions. No more kings
 indeed! We can't even come up with a
 President (elected) so enamoured the
 boys are of their so recently deceased
 Internet Monarchy.

 And don't imagine I am not in favour
 of an elected solution. It's just at
 this point it's unfeasable. There are
 just too many opportunities for fraud
 & rigging. Maybe one day when encryption
 and authentiaction are more precise.
 But not now. A rough consensual process
 seems the only way out of this miasma.




 TeleVirtually Yours,

 Bob Allisat

 Director, World TeleVirtual Network             http://www.wtv.net
 PO Box 191 St E Toronto Canada M6H 4E2                 tor@wtv.net