Jim Wagner, writing in Internet News: "Bret Fausett, a member of ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and author of the Lextext blog on Internet domain issues, said the EU proposal will certainly make it popular with developing countries who want more say in the Internet governance process. But it wasn't a particularly risky move for the EU to make, he said, because they are secure in the knowledge the U.S. is adamant about not giving control to the U.N."

Yeah, what he said. ;-)

How do you get started with podcasting? What works? What doesn't? That's the subject of today's podcast. As promised in the audio, here's a list of my software and equipment: (a) IBM Thinkpad X31 running Sony Soundforge 8.0a; (b) Samson Audio CO3 Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone; (c) M-Audio MobilePre USB 2-Channel breakout box; (d) Samson MDR624 Mixer. (plus cords) Here's a picture of a podcasting station (wine glass optional). Here's a screenshot of Sony Soundforge in operation. Here are the Apple extensions to RSS 2.0 to get data into the iTunes Store, and here's an application to help you write the Apple data to RSS. If you have iTunes, here's a direct link to my podcast in the iTunes directory (which includes a button to subscribe). (iPro Radio No. 40 / 15 Minutes) Header Music: "So You Want To Be A Rock-and-Roll Star" by Black Oak Arkansas.

Paul Vixie explains why ISC has signed on to the Open Root Server Network. And Steve Bellovin makes a nice point about why ORSN's "independent mode" may undermine the network's claim that it follows the ICANN/IANA root.

Steve Bellovin has some hard questions for Neustar about .GPRS.

And Bob Frankston wonders: "Are these people fooling themselves or working hard to create an alternative reality in which they define a universe just so they can rule it?"

Robert Scoble has two nice posts (one / two) on a user's view of formats, specs, code and protocols. I'm with him. It's also (sort of) the subject of today's podcast in which I'll talk a little about Apple's extensions of RSS 2.0 for the iTunes store. I don't particularly care that Apple has its own set of RSS codes for iTunes. What bothers me is that Apple provided no application that would allow users to write their RSS data in the iTunes preferred format. And Apple didn't give the developers of blogging tools a peak of what was coming so their tools could support the Apple extensions.

Memorandum of Understanding Between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Section VII (B) (as amended): "This Agreement will terminate on September 30, 2006."

Is Neustar a renegade? What should we make of the newly announced .GPRS TLD that will be operated in a private root zone outside of the ICANN root? All this and more on today's Internet Pro Radio. (iPro Radio No. 39 / 10 Minutes) Header Music: "Turn Your Radio On" by Grandpa Jones.

This, folks, is huge. It will be the subject of today's podcast, to be broadcast later today after I get some real work done. Read, comment, think, ponder this PDF press release from Neustar.

Kevin Murphy covers the story for Computerwire: "This deal draws on both the telephony and DNS aspects of NeuStar’s business, but it’s not actually a part of the regular internet DNS. 'It’s related to the DNS, but it’s a private tree,' said Eugene Lew, the company’s vice president of advanced services. It’s DNS, but not ‘the’ DNS.' NeuStar will operate a private root DNS server system serving the .gprs suffix, which will only be usable by participating GSMA member companies."

From a mailing list: "ICANN continues to lose market share."

ICANN's ICP-3: "Over the past several years, some private organizations have established DNS roots as alternates to the authoritative root. Some uses of these alternate roots do not jeopardize the stability of the DNS. For example, some are purely private roots operating inside institutions and are carefully insulated from the DNS. Others are purely experimental in the best traditions of the Internet and are carefully managed so as not to interfere with the operation of the DNS. These both operate within community-established norms." (emphasis added). What's Neustar doing?

And what will the folks who run .GP think?

P.S. As previously disclosed, I bought shares of NSR when it went public a few month ago.

Susan Crawford: "BigMedia needs to get into the business of writing algorithms rather than news stories."

Yes! and on a similar note, I said the same thing about lawyers last week at my digital discovery presentation. When all of the information in a large piece of litigation is digital, the advantage goes to the law firm that can best assimilate and understand the data. In the old days, we sent teams of junior lawyers into warehouses for weeks at a time to review mountains of documents. In the not-too-distant future, we'll send software bots. The law firm with the best discovery algorithm wins.

P.S. Susan has one of the best law and policy (and music?)blogs going. If you're not subscribed, get it now.   

Civil Society is calling for political oversight of ICANN. Does it make sense? Should ICANN have a "host country agreement" with the United States? All this and more on today's podcast. (iPro Radio No. 38 / 10 Minutes) Header Music: "Hanging Upside Down" by David Byrne.

Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky & Joseph Barillari, writing in the National Review: "The U.N.'s professed goals, which include expanding Internet access in developing countries and fighting spam, are laudable. However, the substance of its proposals — shifting Internet governance from the U.S. to a U.N. body — would produce an Internet in which regulations smother free speech, strangle net-driven economic growth, and threaten America's online security."

This is very nice. No more comment spam. No more Texas Hold 'Em. No more.....whatever. Go on, try out the new comment feature. Leave me a comment. I dare you.

When the World Summit on the Information Society talks about creating a "new forum" what are they talking about?  What is this new forum?  What will it do?   What power will it have? (iPro Radio No. 37 / 10 Minutes)  Header Music: "Trouble Waiting to Happen" by Warren Zevon. 

ICANN Board Minutes, on the redelegation of .KZ: "Agreements between ccTLD operators and ICANN are desirable but not necessary to finalize a redelegation." I knew this was true in theory but didn't know ICANN was applying it in practice. It wasn't that long ago that ICANN used redelegation requests as leverage to get a signed agreement from a ccTLD manager. This is a positive change.

ARIN: "ARIN will hold its next Public Policy and Members Meeting in Los Angeles on October 26-28, 2005. Meeting and registration details can be found at :http://www.arin.net/ARIN-XVI/"

are acting like, well, China and Iran, shutting civil society and all non-governmental organizations from the drafting sessions in Geneva. Vittorio Bertola provides the story here.

I've returned from my conference in Atlanta. Catching up on WSIS. Gender issues on the Internet. Do we need a new forum for Internet legal issues? (iPro Radio No. 36 / 10 Minutes) Header Music: Kitty Wells, "Will Your Lawyer Talk to God For You?"

In a post to the ICANN Comment Board, Andrew Moulden does the math on .NET registry fees. Your grandchildren will pay $27,226.54 a year.

Now posted on the ICANN web site. Includes the approval of .CAT and the review of .XXX.

The resolution on .XXX: "[T]he ICANN President and General Counsel are directed to discuss possible additional contractual provisions or modifications for inclusion in the .XXX Registry Agreement, to ensure that there are effective provisions requiring development and implementation of policies consistent with the principles in the ICM application. Following such additional discussions, the President and General Counsel are requested to return to the board for additional approval, disapproval or advice."

Jottings: "[R]enewal fees for .net domains could soon be ramping up at 10% annually, and could conceivably then reach the ludicrous level of $1000/year by about 2066 - if Proposed Amendment No. 1 to the .Net Registry Agreement is adopted."

A new ISOC Blog, ISOC@WSIS: Commentary from ISOC delegates at WSIS PrepCom-3.

ISOC has an interesting policy paper on the WSIS process, which is worth reading if you can read Word documents. I especially liked this statement: "[T]he existing mechanisms work. They may not be perfect, as many will argue, but they work, and they have been demonstrably resilient and adaptable."

Sebastian Ricciardi, writing in the ISOC@WSIS Blog on the WSIS consultations now underway: "To achieve transparency, openness and a real multistakeholder approach - that has characterized the development of the Internet until these days - the different stakeholders should be able to participate at all levels of the process, and not only observe and submit comments from time to time." Amen.

Sebastian, one of my At Large colleagues from Argentina, was kind enough to let me record our Skype conversation yesterday on the Geneva Prepcom proceedings. Very enlightening, for me. I only wish the quality of the audio had come through better. I'm trying to clean it up for today's podcast. Stay tuned.

Ambassador David Gross, U.S. Department of State: "The United Nations will not be in charge of the Internet. Period."

The comment came in response to a question at the September 12, 2005 meeting of the Congressional Internet Caucus on the subject of WSIS and Internet Governance. Here is a recording of the question and answer: twelvewords.mp3. 55 seconds. You should download this and listen. Yes, I mean you.

Adam Peake notes that the participation of observers in the drafting groups for WSIS documents is a contentious issue. Of course. This is typical the ITU, UN, intergovernmental nonsense. Remember, the folks running the show think they're being generous by giving the private sector and civil society 45 minutes every other day to speak. How can anyone doubt that the ICANN process, frustrating as it has been at times, is light years ahead of what is happening in Geneva and Tunis?

This is one reason why I am still skeptical about Civil Society's call for a new "forum" in which to discuss Internet governance issues. If the UN or ITU has a hand in creating this new forum, won't it resemble the current forum in which the private sector, civil society and individual Internet users are disenfranchised?

If you're subscribed to the GNSO's RSS 2.0 feed, you've already received it, but the MP3 of today's Council meeting is now online (mp3 here / just over two hours). The primary subject was new gTLDs (agenda here), and the Council requested an issues report from ICANN staff on the creation of new TLDs as a prelude to the initiation of a policy development process. What this means is that we're on track to launch another round of new gTLDs before the MOU expires in September, 2006. We're off!

If you're not subscribed, here's the link to the RSS: MP3 of GNSO Council Meetings.

How to: In iTunes 5.0 and above (for both Windows and Mac), go to the "Advanced" menu and select "Subscribe to Podcast." Paste this URL into the text box:

You'll be subscribed to all future GNSO MP3 recordings and today's will begin downloading. Once it finishes downloading, you can transfer it to your iPod or just listen to it on your computer.

Robert Guerra is in Geneva and blogging Prepcom 3.

The U.S. Congressional Internet Caucus has a podcast! The most recent edition? A report on the U.S. position in the WSIS meetings now underway.

A very short introduction from me, followed by a recording of yesterday's opening statement of "civil society" at the WSIS proceedings in Geneva. Adam Peake, William Drake, Milton Mueller, and Jeanette Hoffman. (20 Minutes.) Header Music: "A Little Bit Is Better Than Nada," 4 Aces. The rest of the WSIS proceedings (yawn) are linked from these pages. 

ICANN: "ICANN has opened a 30-day public comment period on a draft revised version of the Guidelines for the Implementation of Internationalized Domain Names ("IDN Guidelines")...."

A few thoughts on the meaning of WSIS and why I'm podcasting again. The answer to one of those questions is 'because I can.' 10 Minutes. Header Music: "Theme from The Sopranos."

This year's program: "ICANN, WGIG, WSIS: Internet Governance at the Crossroads." Brussells, Belgium, October 21-22, 2005.

The ITU's Strategy and Policy Unit News-blog has the agenda, relevant links and webcast information.