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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">All,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I humbly accept the nomination for Chair of the UASG. My thanks to Edmon Chung for putting my name forward as a candidate for Chair for the upcoming term, and also for the endorsements from group contributors
on the discuss@ list. I am honored to receive this level of support for my candidacy by people whom I respect and have had the privilege to collaborate with over the past four years as Vice-Chair of the UASG.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">With the solid leadership and guidance from UASG Chair Ram Mohan the UASG is at a transition point. The preceding years have seen the UA effort evolve from an aspirational goal to a focused effort that has
created a solid foundation on which to build due to the hard work of the Secretary General, the electorate, and the many, many volunteer contributors and vendors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I am enthusiastic about working with the UASG community to promote the development and adoption of recommended practices and deployable assets that will enable the currently disenfranchised to get online and
experience the wealth of opportunity that a natively accessible internet can provide.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I’d like to take a brief moment to share with you my perspective on the accomplishments of the UASG and where the focus should be in the coming term.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">The mission for the UASG has always been to support the concept that all domain names should be treated equally and has evolved to include email addresses (including Email Address Internationalization). Through
the extensive support of ICANN, the UASG have engaged with qualified experts, commercial organizations, and groups such as ICANN, IETF and ISOC and the resulting efforts are embodied primarily in the document repository on
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://uasg.tech">https://uasg.tech</a></span>. These foundational documents do not address all open questions and the effort thus far does not reflect a “mission accomplished.” Rather, the efforts and deliverables to
date simply provide a solid footing and core set of tools to continue to develop and which can be applied to expand our reach and effect an increasing impact within the internet ecosystem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">As with other initiatives designed to improve the experience and reach of the internet ecosystem (e.g., DNSSEC, Internationalized Domain Names, Email Address Internationalization, etc.), creating technically
sound solutions and making those solutions available to the world isn’t enough. Despite strong efforts and various approaches, the UASG has yet to effectively impart the value and potential benefits of adopting UA outside of a small set of engaged providers.
We had hoped that by explaining issues surrounding UA, measuring the potential impact of these issues and by providing recommended practices to address them, we would see material adoption. Experience has shown that this is not the case.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Briefly stated, over the next two years, the UASG should:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Continue to focus on a global solution that encourages interoperability across cultures and regions rather than primarily focusing on specific regional solutions. Failing to maintain the global view may result in increased usability
within targeted regions but risks the creation of a fragmented internet where communication and usage across regions is problematic;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Make concerted efforts to judiciously and efficiently apply resources to drive changes to widely used source code repositories so that we effect improvements not by encouraging work, but instead help to solve the problem for the
general population without requiring a nuanced understanding of the topic;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Continue to evolve our Ambassador program to engage with peripheral organizations to evangelize the concepts of UA and encourage the adoption of recommended practices and to identify opportunities where the UA can apply its resources
to make material improvements;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Continue to support IDN and EAI. These are very important efforts within the UA agenda and should continue to get substantial resources to further expansion of supporting technologies. There are specific challenges around both
of these topics and continuing to engage with industry experts to develop materials to provide quality guidance for implementers and solution providers should continue;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Continue to include and enhance in our outreach and communications and awareness component. By awareness, I mean increased awareness that IDNs, EAI, and non-traditional TLDs exist and must be accepted. We have touched on awareness
over the past four years but are seeing that a lack of awareness has led to a lack of concern on the part of many, many solutions providers. By including awareness in our strategy, we should be able to expand our reach;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:11.0pt">Continue to work with ICANN staff and our UASG constituents, evolving our mission and efforts to be inclusive of the community’s ideas and needs.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">My experience and background at ICANN, in the domain industry, with IDNs and at GoDaddy qualifies me well, I believe, to provide leadership and guidance to the UASG. I have run global multi-stakeholder efforts
before, I understand how to engage with global communities, and most of all, I remain humble in approach but relentless in execution. These are essential traits, I believe, for continued success of the UASG and its mission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I hope you will consider supporting my nomination to help me serve you and the internet community on bringing the mission of Universal Acceptance to a strong and successful outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Richard Merdinger<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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