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Where's those new gTLDs then?
Thursday, February 21. 2008
From the outside looking in, ICANN's processes can sometimes look painfully slow. Even those well versed in the complexities of international organisations probably get a little dispirited with ICANN's apparent lack of speed at times.
Looking over the minutes of the New Delhi board meeting, that slowness is painfully apparent. Take new gTLDs as an example. Under an item entitled "new gTLDs – nest steps", the board resolved to direct: "staff to continue its implementation work on New gTLDs (…) discuss some issues raised by the staff and Board regarding implementation (…) and provide information to the Board in a timely manner to enable the Board to discuss the recommendations and implementation issues and quickly determine a course of action for the introduction new gTLDs."
Hum, excuse me but where's the real news here? When do we get a tentative date for a new round of gTLDs? Or even just an idea of what type of gTLDs ICANN might consider in this, what would be the third round of new Internet domain creation since ICANN came into being in 1998.
Actually, seasoned ICANN-followers will tell you that some of the answers are already there, lurking under the surface of some rather difficult-to-follow reports and previous board resolutions. ICANN even has a new gTLD page up on its website to provide a summary of what is known so far.
The official ICANN line is that "the board is expected to consider the policy recommendation (for the introduction of new gTLDs) in early 2008". Well, it's early 2008 now and as the Delhi board minutes show, the board's still trying to get the necessary information to build up to that exciting moment when it will finally decide something.
So you can imagine the frustration people like dotBERLIN's Dirk Krischenowski must be feeling… After spending several years and pouring what must now be getting on to 3 million Euros into a project to launch a new TLD centered around the German city of Berlin, not getting any clear indication from ICANN of when that project might actually happen must simply be getting annoying.
I caught a glimpse of Dirk in New Delhi but didn't get a chance to talk to him about the state of the dotBERLIN project this time around. But we've discussed this before (Dirk's also been giving us valuable advice for the .PARIS initiative) and I know that he expects to see some real forward motion on this in 2008.
I hope he does. And I'm sure ICANN is working hard to make this happen. Perhaps all that’s needed is a little more communication from ICANN – in an easy-to-understand format – so that both professionals like Dirk and the community in general doesn't feel like this is just another hot topic that's been allowed to go lukewarm…
Just days after my little blast at ICANN for being too slow about deciding things and not communicating well enough about those things that do get decided, ICANN has come up with a great new idea called a "briefing note".The first is available r
Tracked: Feb 23, 00:37