With the recent trend of board members asking public questions about new gTLDs, does this agenda item concern you? Or am I being paranoid again?

Discussion regarding Board Participation in New GTLD Policy Development Process

I'm very concerned about this agenda item. Word on the street is that ICANN and Verisign have engaged in renewed negotiations over the last few weeks, both in DC and California, and reached a new agreement that will be presented to the Board and posted for public comment in February. At the recent GNSO Council meeting, I asked what instructions the Board had given to staff to negotiate a new agreement. The answer was that the Board had not provided any renewed advice. So the Staff is negotiating a new deal, based on feedback from Vancouver, but I seriously doubt it will address the concerns adequately. We'll have another fight ahead of us in the coming months, and, if it still stinks, we'll have to hope that the Board again rejects what Staff has negotiated.

-- Bret