I'll be at the London Domain Summit - what do you want me to talk about?

[Kieren]

Ok, thank you all for this.

So here's my takeaway from your responses, plus what I want to cover. Here's what I'm thinking - roughly


* Quick rundown from me about my experience on the Nominet Board after one year (5 mins)

* Quick rundown on the Articles consultation and why I think you should all respond to it (although the initial consultation will have finished by then - it ends 9 August - go here if you want to take a look, respond: https://www.nominet.uk/articles/ (5 mins)

* Questions about Nominet (10 mins)
- Board thinking on promotions
- Board thinking on pricing
- Recent election saga including Qs on screening

* State of the .UK market -- interactive session (15 mins)
- Trends - consolidation, changes to market
- What role of Nominet could/should/might be in .uk market
- Specific issues - Auth (would like to know more) etc

* Questions (5 mins)


Sounds about right?


Kieren

-----------

Re: IFFOR where I am Executive Director.

IFFOR continues to do the same work it has was set up to do: check on .xxx policies and their effectiveness; do an annual audit; run a grants program; develop policies and do related work that fit it with our remit.

We did expect the .xxx contract between ICM Registry and ICANN to be revisited both at the end of 2021 and 2022. ICANN has extended the contract both times. We now expect it to be revisit at the end of this year. IFFOR does not have a say or any particular insight into those negotiations, so we continue to do the job we were set up to do.

In terms of other work, we have a big launch planned for the start of the new school year over our AtFirstSite program, which was first developed in 2016 and will soon be in its fourth iteration. It's a really good course and I'm proud of it.

 

[KevDI]

Your big launch sounds great Kieren!

Lots of luck.

Maybe just update your sites like you said you would so I don't have to deal with people calling you out for your bullshit.

 

[JimDavies]

Re: IFFOR where I am Executive Director.

IFFOR continues to do the same work it has was set up to do: check on .xxx policies and their effectiveness; do an annual audit; run a grants program; develop policies and do related work that fit it with our remit.

We did expect the .xxx contract between ICM Registry and ICANN to be revisited both at the end of 2021 and 2022. ICANN has extended the contract both times. We now expect it to be revisit at the end of this year. IFFOR does not have a say or any particular insight into those negotiations, so we continue to do the job we were set up to do.

In terms of other work, we have a big launch planned for the start of the new school year over our AtFirstSite program, which was first developed in 2016 and will soon be in its fourth iteration. It's a really good course and I'm proud of it.[/QUOTE]

Just wondering if you could please link me to the grants program and a list of recipients? Many thanks

 

[KevDI]

https://iffor.org/grants/

 

[super-whois]

https://iffor.org/grants/

"The grants program was open until 9 December, 2021."

Looks like there's been no grants for nearly two years...

 

[KevDI]

I wonder what IFFOR has ever actually done.

It doesn't seem to have made a domain policy, or checked a policy, or really ever done anything about .xxx domain policy.

Does ICM/GoDaddy/.xxx have any domain policies that were created by IFFOR and not just pulled out of Lawley's arse 20 years ago?

IFFOR seems to spend its time talking about and creating educational materials for schools about sex stuff.

An absolutely worthy goal, assuming the materials are good and they get used.

Are they good? Do they get used?.

Anyone willing to pay £150 to find out?

https://atfirstsite.org/

 

[super-whois]

pay £150 to find out?

That's the big red flag...

 

[KevDI]

"The grants program was open until 9 December, 2021."

Looks like there's been no grants for nearly two years...

Looks like the page hasn't been updated in two years.

 

[super-whois]

Looks like the page hasn't been updated in two years.

I think that's the summary for IFFOR.

 

[JMI]

You could talk about Cellulite, you know a lot about it https://atfirstsite.org/index.php/2017/05/04/kim-kardashian-cellulite/

 

[KevDI]

You could talk about Cellulite, you know a lot about it https://atfirstsite.org/index.php/2017/05/04/kim-kardashian-cellulite/

Did Kieren write that? Doesn't sound like it.

 

[JimDavies]

I wonder what IFFOR has ever actually done.

It doesn't seem to have made a domain policy, or checked a policy, or really ever done anything about .xxx domain policy.

Does ICM/GoDaddy/.xxx have any domain policies that were created by IFFOR and not just pulled out of Lawley's arse 20 years ago?

IFFOR seems to spend its time talking about and creating educational materials for schools about sex stuff.

An absolutely worthy goal, assuming the materials are good and they get used.

Are they good? Do they get used?.

Anyone willing to pay £150 to find out?

https://atfirstsite.org/

If I'm reading IFFOR's tax returns correctly, all of its income comes from the ICM/GoDaddy contract.

No income is shown being generated by the AtFirstSite progam, so it seems no one is paying the £150 you mentioned.

Also it says IFFOR has paid out nothing on its grant program. Ever.

Here's the link - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/451015160

@KevDI and others please check, in case I have got it wrong. Or maybe @Kieren can explain what I am missing.

 

[Admin]

You could talk about Cellulite, you know a lot about it https://atfirstsite.org/index.php/2017/05/04/kim-kardashian-cellulite/

@JMI just find a forum to match your interests.

 

[KevDI]

If I'm reading IFFOR's tax returns correctly, all of its income comes from the ICM/GoDaddy contract.

No income is shown being generated by the AtFirstSite progam, so it seems no one is paying the £150 you mentioned.

Also it says IFFOR has paid out nothing on its grant program. Ever.

Here's the link - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/451015160

@KevDI and others please check, in case I have got it wrong. Or maybe @Kieren can explain what I am missing.

The 990 shows that executive director KIeren made about $65,503 in the last-reported year from IFFOR. More, for example, than the $45,000 that ICANN directors make.

But the form also says he worked for 40 hours a week.

You could hypothetically criticize him for taking money from ICM for nothing.

That's not terrible, is it?

Sixty-five grand USD for a full 40-hour working week is a nice respectable wage, but it's not excessive and nobody could reasonably say it's too much for a 40-hour working week, which McCarthy definitely observes.

Nobody could reasonably accuse that person -- who is definitely working 40 hours per week for IFFOR for $65k -- of getting paid for doing nothing.

He's just been too busy over the last few years to do the transparency stuff.while he's putting in his 40 hours on other stuff/

 

[super-whois]

Nobody could reasonably accuse that person -- who is definitely working 40 hours per week for IFFOR for $65k -- of getting paid for doing nothing.

Reminds me of last year:

So what do you do for $60,000 per year. Nothing? The same Nothing we will see you doing on the board.

 

[KevDI]

KIeren would not lie about that on a legal form.

 

[Whois-Search]

* Quick rundown on the Articles consultation and why I think you should all respond to it (although the initial consultation will have finished by then - it ends 9 August - go here if you want to take a look, respond: https://www.nominet.uk/articles/ (5 mins)

Given the Articles consultation has already ended (9th August) and voting starts on 20th September… It will be interesting to see how much the red line actually gets changed (due to the consultation) during a holiday period?

The board are not even due to meet again until 26th September so how does this “fait accompli” get changed before voting starts?

* Questions about Nominet (10 mins)
- Board thinking on promotions

Pretty much clear what the board thinks, there aren’t any price promotions at the moment. Btw Haworth already used “promotion driven industry” as an excuse when he increased the price twice.

- Board thinking on pricing

The board has already hinted at an inflation price rise in the latest board report. However according the “Bligh Principles” when hard times hit Nominet should dip in to that huge £65 million surplus. However you’re giving that away on the Public Benefit committee?

- Recent election saga including Qs on screening

And who sits on the nominations committee deciding rules like screening should take 25 days flat when the British Standard is up to 12 weeks?

* State of the .UK market -- interactive session (15 mins)
- Trends - consolidation, changes to market
- What role of Nominet could/should/might be in .uk market

Well considering .uk is your main product that your predecessors seem to have neglected for the past decade it might be a good idea to focus on marketing it rather than white elephants.

- Specific issues - Auth (would like to know more) etc

Auth codes are already on the roadmap.
However due to the glacial speed Nominet moves we might be waiting until 2025.

.
IFFOR where I am Executive

As Godaddy now owns ICM BVI Limited (100%) since April 2021. I really don’t see how IFFOR can continue to be funded by $10 donations from .xxx when it owns the extension. IFFOR needs to become self sufficient a bit like Nominet Cyber?

 

[diablo]

 

[Kieren]

Thanks to those of you that came to the event yesterday and to those that made constructive comments on this thread.

I hope what I said proved useful; I tried to be as honest as possible about where Nominet is, what it is doing well, what it needs to work on, what my personal view and vision for improving the org is, and what is in the pipeline.

If things improve the way I hope they will with Nominet over the next year - especially when it comes to comms - then hopefully I’ll be able to do a more upbeat update next year.

Kieren

 

[Helmuts]

Thank you Kieren, it was great meeting you,

So far I have published only the debates recording. Your session and all others will get published next week (I'm taking off some time till the next week).

And really - you are a great guy!!

Best wishes and most of success,
Helmuts