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While there is nothing wrong with understanding why any constituency
with enough interest in ICANN’s work might want to submit comments,
there are two things to remember here. <br>
<br>
• First, comments need to be assessed on their merit, independent
of their source. <br>
<br>
• Second, there are thousands of such constituency groups out
there. As awareness around IC issues grows ICANN will likely hear
from more of them. ICANN’s multistakeholder processes would be on a
very slippery slope if it discredited or dismissed them, independent
of their comments, without serious due cause. <br>
<br>
In Washington D.C. there are normally between 10 and 15 thousand
registered lobbyists engaging the U.S. governance process. Those
interests have the resources to hire lobbyists. There are additional
hundreds of thousands who advocate on their own behalf, much as has
been done by this association of Chiefs of Police. <br>
<br>
Consider the number of advocate groups who will turn up with
comments, and possible engagement in ICANN policy discussions, when
the stakes of Internet Governance are better understood by more
residents of the Internet ecosystem. How to accommodate that is the
challenge at hand, not how to discredit or dismiss them. <br>
<br>
Sam Lanfranco <br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72"><font size="-1">--
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"It is a disgrace to be rich and honoured
in an unjust state" -Confucius
邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也。邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也
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Dr Sam Lanfranco (Prof Emeritus & Senior Scholar)
Econ, York U., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - M3J 1P3
email: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Lanfran@Yorku.ca">Lanfran@Yorku.ca</a> Skype: slanfranco
blog: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://samlanfranco.blogspot.com">https://samlanfranco.blogspot.com</a>
Phone: +1 613-476-0429 cell: +1 416-816-2852</font></pre>
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