[chapter-delegates] An analysis - INTERNET GOVERNANCE PROJECT: "What to Do About ICANN"

[Lyman Chapin]

>>IMHO, ISOC should interfere and attempt to keep the internet as
>>free as possible from government intervention, even U.S. government
>
>You are joking, right? ISOC will not take an active position, as it 
>was repeatedly said on many many occasions. It wants to be neutral, 
>whatever that is.

Veni,

One of the core values of ISOC (as written in the new strategic 
operating plan) is:

"The social, political, and economic benefits of the Internet are 
substantially diminished by excessively restrictive governmental or 
private controls on computer hardware or software, telecommunications 
infrastructure, or Internet content."

Also this, from the goals and objectives of the policy pillar:

"The policy pillar represents the Internet Society's commitment to 
all of its core values, particularly: The social, political, and 
economic benefits of Internet access are substantially diminished by 
excessively restrictive governmental or private controls on computer 
hardware or software, telecommunications infrastructure, or Internet 
content. It supports the Society's mission by upholding and defending 
these values in local, national, and international public policy 
arenas, where decisions that affect the ability of people throughout 
the world to enjoy the benefits of the Internet are made.

The Society's goals for programs that support the policy pillar are:

to adopt, assert, and defend policy positions consistent with the 
mission and core values of the Internet Society; and

to promote awareness of public policy issues and activities that 
affect the Internet."

The stated goal of ISOC policy programs is therefore to "adopt, 
assert, and defend policy positions consistent with" ISOC's mission 
and core values. That doesn't sound like "neutral" to me.

- Lyman