Hi, I'm standing for the Nominet elected Non Executive Director role this year

[Anne Taylor]

Hi everyone,

I've joined this forum as a way of introducing myself to Nominet members since I'm standing for the NED role this year. I want to represent the huge number of smaller members and to ensure the longevity of the .uk namespace.

I'm not going to go in to huge detail here, and I hope me jumping on the forum and posting is taken in the way it's intended - to raise awareness and encourage a good turnout.

Nominet members, I would really appreciate your vote - which opens tomorrow and closes July 16th at 3pm. Please use your vote, ideally for me

You, or the relevant person in your organisation, will be receiving an email with your voting details.

In the meantime you can find out more about me here https://www.seegreen.uk/anne-taylor/ and you'll also find contact details if you've any questions.

https://vimeo.com/showcase/5366830/video/344062904 is where you can see the webinar we recorded at Nominet's London office. If you don’t have the password then please drop [email protected] a line.

Thanks in advance - please send your vote my way!

 

[Sam]

Welcome @Anne Taylor

 

[martin-s]

How do you want to represent smaller registrars? Forgive me if we haven't heard it all before...

 

[Anne Taylor]

How do you want to represent smaller registrars? Forgive me if we haven't heard it all before...

It may have been said before; if I was elected I might fail, but that's no reason not to stand, or else nothing will change. I represent a smaller registrar, and I get the diversity of the membership, big players, huge portfolios, smaller members where domains aren't core business, personal portfolios - it's important for a board to represent it's membership accurately and in this instance I think that I can do that - or at least I'll not stop trying. I don't expect to join any board ready to change the way everything works at meeting one, to crisitise all that's gone before, but it's clear to see people are jaded about how the organisation works and I'd like to do what I can to address that, and hope to get backing from my peers to do that - especially when we're all clear on the complexity of voting rights/weighting.

 

[Anne Taylor]

I'd be interested to hear what your intentions were before considering a vote.

Hopefully there's plenty of info in the election pack and webinar, but my contact details are on the link

 

[RobM]

...but that's no reason not to stand, or else nothing will change..

Yes we're used to NED's changing things round here - not a 'lip service' position at all. I remember when we said we didn't want a uk extension. I remember when we said we didn't want a doubling of prices. I remember when we said we didn't want registrars registering domains for people without their consent. Our trusty friend the NED leapt into action... only to be told they didn't have a say and their real job was just to 'exist' in an attempt to make smaller members believe Nominet cares about them whilst pushing through their agenda without deviation. Are you different?

 

[Anne Taylor]

What you can do to change that, I don't know

Not a lot if I don't get elected!

 

[Murray]

Welcome to the forum

What's the draw for you personally to want to be NED? not what you would bring to it, but what would you get out of it.

 

[Anne Taylor]

Welcome to the forum

What's the draw for you personally to want to be NED? not what you would bring to it, but what would you get out of it.

Good question Murray. I enjoy challenging myself, and I like to get involved with things and try make a difference. I've been on boards and committees and think I work well challenging the norm, making suggestions and considering decisions. I see flaws with Nominet, but I am proud that my company is an accredited channel partner, so it seemed like an interesting role to go for - the work I've done has been regional and I thought a natural next step would be working with a national organisation, and it's related to my day to day work, but I'm new enough to it to hope that I can see the various perspectives and opinions across the spectrum and hopefully go some way to make a difference. It's clear that there are members who just can't see a way back, or want to vote, engage, watch a video - and I'll struggle to say anything to change those peoples minds, but I wanted to have a bash at going for the role.

 

[davedevelopment]

~£30k for ~30 days work?

 

[martin-s]

It may have been said before; if I was elected I might fail, but that's no reason not to stand

I'd like someone whose primary interest was in helping Nominet get back to being closer to the membership again. They've gone through the motions numerous times on projects for this and that, but there's just no real commitment. Nominet care more about selling domains than they do about managing the .uk namespace. We need a PAB equivalent to try and wrest influence away from the big registrars.

To be honest, that isn't going to happen while Mr Dollar Signs is in charge.

 

[Siusaidh]

I'd like to see someone who will represent ordinary internet users: ideally I would like to see someone committed to establishing and empowering an 'At Large' group of UK citizens who value the internet - not registrars, not domain industry people (though these all need their own channels of representation too), but individual internet users.

Although Nominet operates as a business, I believe the UK namespace is significant for ordinary people outside the domain name industries, and at present I feel like the whole domain system has been monetised. I am not objecting to people making a living, but I just feel we need to bring the ordinary user back to the heart of Nominet.

Do you have any proposals about how to do that?

 

[RobM]

It's clear that there are members who just can't see a way back, or want to vote, engage, watch a video - and I'll struggle to say anything to change those peoples minds, but I wanted to have a bash at going for the role.

I voted the last twice for people who said *exactly* the same as you. Until you can tell us HOW you intend to make any changes (which you can't because you have no rights) what is the point? We know the NED position is a farce - I don't think you do yet. Anyway welcome to the forum, hope you get your votes and your paycheck, and we look forward to the same new post next year from someone else. Now if the NED could actually do anything the position wouldn't exist. Don't get me wrong - you are probably a very nice person and this is not an attack on you or your character - but your wanted position is akin to being Lord Haw Haw.

 

[Anne Taylor]

Rob, I'm genuinely interested if you see there being any answer at all? Or is it simply there is no answer in your opinion?

 

[RobM]

I don't see how anyone in the NED position can get anything changed even if they wanted to. They are there basically to go to nominet meetings (not allowed to all of them and certainly not allowed voting) and say 'yes I spoke to the small people and they are unhappy'. To which I can imagine them responding by saying 'ok thanks for that.. bye'. I see the position as something they have put in place to make us *think* we have a voice and to leave them alone. The only answer would be to remove the board completely, stop anyone with ANY conflict of interest sitting there, stop concealing accounts, lower wages, and run as they were suppsed *managing* the namespace. Instead they have simply become a load of (apparently) bent capitalists who were given a functioning business (non profit org) intent on milking every last penny out of the consumer and 95% of their members. They funnel any profit into their own pockets indirectly and are not accountable to anyone (maybe that will change) A NED can't fix that. If they want to run this way then fine... allow us to buy shares and openly strive to make massive profits. They want their cake and the eating. They are not a normal business so should stop trying to circumvent the law and acting like one. I have a feeling there maybe some legal action coming soon anyway so we shall see.
So to answer your question No a NED is not the answer. There was never a question that needed one. A NED is needed in the current situation like a fish needs a bicycle. Smoke and mirrors.

 

[tomclowes]

This is literally just a “vote for me” thread. You haven’t explained why and you have ignored lots of (what I consider to be) reasonable questions..

 

[Murray]

Is this the role Invincible/David had?

Was he able to make any positive change to anything

 

[RobM]

Is this the role Invincible/David had?

Was he able to make any positive change to anything

No. He went the other way. A dog cannot bite the hand that's feeding it and we knew he was full of crap (he did too but he had long since left his self-respect at the door - apparently it was only worth £30k). Eventually he disappeared. Last seen outside the kitchen door of restaurants where nominet board members were spending our money on lavish 5 course meals saying 'gizajob'.

 

[Sam]

No. He went the other way. A dog cannot bite the hand that's feeding it and we knew he was full of crap (he did too but he had long since left his self-respect at the door - apparently it was only worth £30k). Eventually he disappeared. Last seen outside the kitchen door of restaurants where nominet board members were spending our money on lavish 5 course meals saying 'gizajob'.

Your find him on the nominet forum defending every post...

 

[Admin]

Timing is everything isn't it.