Now even EUROPE is slapping down ICANN in internet power struggle

European governments and internet registries have sent a stinging message to the board of domain name overseer ICANN warning it to stop trying to avoid limits on its absolute authority. At a joint meeting in Brussels of the European Commission's High Level Group on Internet Governance (HLIG) and the Council of European …

[Mad Chaz]

I don't understand why "the internet" still tries to do business with ICANN. It's like getting screwed over and having everything taken from you by a business partner, then going back and saying "I got this great new idea"

[Anonymous Coward]

Because the business partner knows the lawyers. Walking away from this and trying to find clean lawyers at this point is a crap shoot. And this can easily become an all-or-nothing kind of battle which may not be advised.

[Alan Brown]

"Walking away from this and trying to find clean lawyers at this point is a crap shoot."

Ironic that you should use the analogy, given that the ICANN chair who came up with the models and strategies still in use happens to be a particularly bent lawyer.

[Yes Me]

why "the internet" still tries to do business with ICANN

@Mad Chaz:

Because it would be a bother to have to move the clerical functions elsewhere. However, it's looking more and more like the right thing to do.

[Mark 85]

ICANN in a death spiral then?

Watching ICANN is like watching an airplane spiral (or maybe more like a flat spin) into the ground... pretty damn sad and stupid on the part of the board.

[Paul Crawford]

Re: ICANN in a death spiral then?

The tech world's FIFA

[cyrus]

Re: ICANN in a death spiral then?

I would hate being in a flat spin. That would fucking s**k. However, in this instance, I am enjoying watching the ensuing spectacle. This IS why we go to airshiws, yes?

[druck]

Re: ICANN in a death spiral then?

Anyone at Shoreham would disagree.

[Alan Brown]

Re: ICANN in a death spiral then?

"The tech world's FIFA"

As with FIFA, the ones going down now are the patsies. The real masterminds bailed out some time back.

[Neoc]

What I don't understand is what sort of power they seem to have. Is there *any* reason why "the internet" can't simply walk away and start with a new body?

[Pascal Monett]

I'd really like to know that as well.

I think it's like in a dysfunctional family. Everybody knows the weird uncle is a child rapist, but everybody keeps trying to talk to him. This will continue until the community globally decides they have had enough, and walks away on their own to do something else.

And frankly, it's not like it's difficult to set up an administration.

[Anonymous Coward]

"I think it's like in a dysfunctional family. Everybody knows the weird uncle is a child rapist, but everybody keeps trying to talk to him."

Because the uncle is also filthy stinkin' rich, and they keep sweet talking him to make sure they're on his will. Walking away means walking away from a piece of a whole lotta money...

[Alan Brown]

rich uncles

ICANN controls the root servers and hence the global DNS system.

There have been alternate roots, but ICANN leveraged its dominance to shut them down.

Walking away from ICANN requires setting up a new set of DNS roots AND convincing the rest of the world to use them.

[Anonymous Coward]

bemused outsider question

So who, aside from those actually in ICANN, actually loses out if ICANN is modifed so that it is accountable? Who or what is the hidden actor that doesn;t want things to change? Or is it just that the ICANN bods just like their jobs as they are thankyouverymuch?

[Charles 9]

Re: bemused outsider question

It's the ICANN bods themselves. They don't want to cede power, and since many of them have connections, they know how to game the system. They also have most of the Internet (such as the critical DNS root zone) by the wossnames. They can make any forced transition away form ICANN a very inconvenient affair.