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CIRA Election Opens Today: I Need Your Support to Help Bring the Public Interest Back to CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which manages the dot-ca domain, opens its board of directors election at noon ET today.  CIRA members are eligible to vote from September 19th until September 26th, with five seats at stake – two member-nominated seats and three nominating-committee seats. I am on the ballot for a member-nominated seat and would appreciate your support. While there are many worthy candidates, those that I will be voting for include: Kevin McArthur, a strong advocate for consumer and technology issues, for the other member-nominated position as well as Hank Intven (an exceptional telecom lawyer) and Bill Sandiford (the chair of CNOC, the independent ISP association) in the nominating committee board member category.

I explained why I am running for the CIRA board in this post during the nomination process, but wanted to expand my comments as the voting begins. I believe that the current election represents a critical moment in CIRA’s evolution. The organization spent much of its first five years setting the ground rules for operating a country-code top-level domain. It fostered a competitive registrar market that resulted in sharply lower prices for dot-ca domains, established governance policies on issues such as domain name dispute resolution, drafted extensive legal documentation, and grappled with a governance model that raised conflict concerns.

The past five years were marked by a growing bank account – as domain name registrations grew the organization became increasingly flush with cash – and extensive (and expensive) investments in marketing. Yet efforts to meet its public interest mandate were more modest. The Canadian Internet Forum is an interesting and worthwhile endeavour, but policy reforms such as WHOIS reform struggled with external pressures. Moreover, the organization remained silent on many key Internet policy developments, including net neutrality (a policy submission on the issue was killed by the board at the last minute), lawful access, and Internet access.

This year marked the start of the third phase of CIRA’s evolution with proposed governance reforms that would have eliminated member-nominated board candidates (with respect, it is stunning that board members that supported eliminating member-nominated candidates are now using that process to run for election). I spoke out against the reforms, which threatened to decrease public participation and accountability. With four positions on the board to be determined by this election, it will set the course for the future structure and role of CIRA within the Canadian Internet. 

I have argued that governance reform is essential and that a new model based on creating an independent, CIRA-funded public policy arm is needed to allow the organization to fulfill its public interest mandate while maintaining its core expertise in managing the dot-ca domain. Just as important is the need for CIRA to reassert the public interest at the centre of its decision-making process. I hope to bring that view to the board and believe that Kevin McArthur, Hank Intven, and Bill Sandiford are likely to do so as well.  If you are a CIRA member, you will be receiving an email notification of the opportunity to vote.  A public interest focused CIRA starts with a publicly-active membership, so please click on the link in the election email and take a few moments to cast your vote.

12 Comments

  1. Kevin McArthur says:

    https://www.kevinforcira.ca
    Thanks so much Michael for the support.

  2. A stronger voice for the public interest is always appreciated, good luck Micheal.

  3. You’d have my vote
    …but I let my one .CA domain expire years ago. Perhaps I should register one again to have a vote next time.

  4. I own 3 .ca domains
    And I’m still trying to figure out why my membership “Does Not Exist” anymore.

    When that’s straightened, I’ll vote for you!

  5. Voted
    I just voted. Good luck Michael.

  6. Obama Friend says:

    Trying to vote
    The CIRA voting process seems to be setup by the US republican party. I’m nearly able to vote for you but I’m still blocked. I’ll keep trying…

  7. I have sent a request for someone on my local Edmonton Linux User Group with a valid .ca to vote for you Micheal.

    Thanks for all the great work you do for us,

    Keep it up the good,

    Cheers,

  8. John Robinson says:

    Would like to vote but won’t give up my privacy to do so
    Greetings; I just registered a .ca domain yesterday. I want to vote for you, Michael, however, CIRA asks for far too much confidential information. They don’t need a photo ID from me and they have no business asking for confidential government photo ID, they are not a government agency therefore they have no right to ask for it. On registration, I was asked if I met the eligibility, I said I did, CIRA took my money, through my registrar, so that should be enough. Sorry, but I won’t be joining CIRA, as much as I want to.

  9. Obama Friend says:

    Disenfranchised
    I asked and was told that only people who registered before voting commenced would be able to vote. No election day registration. The US Republican party would be pleased to have it this good. Maybe next time I’ll be able to vote for you, Micheal. Good-luck without my help!

  10. Clyde Beattie says:

    Congratulations Michael on your election to the CIRA Board. Judging by your vote volume, there is significant interest in CIRA’s public interest mandate and in an increased distribution of the ‘cash’ towards that mandate instead of marketing themselves in a monopoly situation. CIRA is maturing and a redirection is likely now or never. Good luck!

  11. I said I did, CIRA took my money, through my registrar, so that should be enough. Sorry, but I won’t be joining CIRA, as much as I want to.

    http://gurjeetguri.blogspot.com

  12. I said I did, CIRA took my money, through my registrar, so that should be enough. Sorry, but I won’t be joining CIRA, as much as I want to.

    gurjeet
    [url=http://gurjeetguri.blogspot.com]gurjeet[/url]