ITworld.com - ICANN ends Malaysia meeting with budget approval:  "Topping [ICANN's] list of accomplishments, according to ICANN Chairman Vint Cerf, was the group's approval Friday of its fiscal year 2004-2005 budget, which is set to grow from US$8.3 million this year to $15.83 million for the period covering July 1 to June 30, 2005."

Here's the resolution itself, though I don't see who voted in favor and who voted against. I can't believe it would have been unanimous. (That's not sarcasm. I suspect it might have been unanimous, because most of the Board's votes are, but I don't know.)  Having been at ICANN meetings where difficult decisions are made, I know that you can't always accurately gauge the appropriateness of a given decision from afar. Maybe this made sense in context. Susan Crawford, whose opinion I always respect, seems to think so...within limits.  Still, this is a mind-bending leap from the ICANN of a few years ago, even the post-reform ICANN (see below) of just last year.

Word via my e-mail inbox is that ICANN has used the ITU and WSIS as a sort of boogey man to justify the increase in staff and resources. I'm not convinced. Let the ITU do what it wants to do and the UN processes play out.  They're no threat to a small, contained ICANN that continues to go about doing its small, contained job.