UKRAC

[monaghan]

Who's up for standing? They are asking for 2 from the secondary market and it suggests one member one vote so a good chance for secondary market representation if anyone's up for it. I know it's not what the push for EGM wanted, but we need to engage with them at as many levels as possible.

https://www.nominet.uk/corporate-governance/uk-registry-advisory-council/

 

[ukbackorder]

There's a second EGM coming I thought. Their idea of 'engaging' with them is not actually engagement.

 

[monaghan]

There's a second EGM coming I thought. This is not engaging with them.

Not seen that - link / details?

 

[ukbackorder]

No link. Just a general feeling I was getting from publicbenefits emails. Nominet have not learned a thing from the EGM and are going out of their way to whitewash the board with their unwanted members. They have NO intention of listening to anyone they don't want to listen to. Even that RAC will be full of their stooges so they can pass anything they want and claim it's 'what people wanted'. Four out of those 6 positions will be under their control and anyway it's 'advisory' so they can choose to disregard whatever they feel like.

 

[webber]

...

 

[monaghan]

I know it's advisory, but shouldn't we at least be putting some people in there? If there's no 2nd EGM or it fails then we'll need to have people putting our viewpoint across in as many places as possible.

I can see the 2 "large" positions being stooges, but the 2 other positions are more likely to have people with a more balanced viewpoint and a 1 member 1 vote is more likely to put some "real people" in place rather than the usual puppets.

 

[ukbackorder]

Real people like David Thornton or the last guy (who I can't even remember but doesn't want to speak to members)? I will not be legitimising nominet - people should be protesting rather than looking at how best to collaborate in my opinion. Maybe they should just separate members from tagholders so we don't have to put up with this pretence any longer.

 

[webber]

I totally agree with the sentiment. I would much rather see a second EGM.
But it's too late to turn the clock on the UKRAC, we have to get people we trust on those 4 seats that would be available to us.
Down the line we can hopefully prove the RAC is pointless/powerless and we'll demand better methods of engagement and oversight

 

[monaghan]

Real people like David Thornton or the last guy (who I can't even remember but doesn't want to speak to members)? I will not be legitimising nominet - people should be protesting rather than looking at how best to collaborate in my opinion. Maybe they should just separate members from tagholders so we don't have to put up with this pretence any longer.

I've only met David a couple of times, so can't really comment on him as a person, but as I read it, these are not positions with a fancy expense account and directors fees.

If you separate members and tag holders then you are in effect handing control of the UK registry over to those who you appear to despise. We all need to engage with Nominet and being a member and tagholder will ensure you have a voice, if you give up membership rights then what voice do you have?

 

[ukbackorder]

Forgive me but I've heard this same speech many times over the past 20 years. A second EGM is the only thing that would be of interest to me. Everything else can go whistle - it's not worth my breath it has all been said before. Of course everyone else is free to do whatever makes them think they have a say. Oh and David is a prick who changed his tune the moment he got people to vote for him - I use him as an example because either he intended to be a nominet stooge all along or they corrupted him into a yes man the moment he was selected - the other guy couldn't even be bothered to pretend he cared but apparently us people who need a voice 'voted' for him...

 

[monaghan]

I totally agree with the sentiment. I would much rather see a second EGM.
But it's too late to turn the clock on the UKRAC, we have to get people we trust on those 4 seats that would be available to us.
Down the line we can hopefully prove the RAC is pointless/powerless and we'll demand better methods of engagement and oversight

Agreed, we need to get Nominet back to being a registry and loose all the spin off's. I personally do fear a 2nd EGM will look more of a hostile takeover and ring bells with government and the last thing we want is one of Boris's mates "appointed" to Nominet. I'd support an EGM though if well presented so it's not looking too militant.

 

[ukbackorder]

So with 2 out of 6 voices (assuming those 2 give the correct voice) you think you're going 'to get Nominet back to being a registry'? Nominet are the masters of 'look over there' tactics to ignore the will of their members and do what they want anyway. They've already proven that by their current CEO and how they pretty much ignored the mandated result of the EGM (Eleanor Bradley removed? Nah lets promote her. Nobody will say anything) If they can ignore that and deflect attention whilst apparently appeasing members do you think a watered down 'advisory' committee that they control is going to represent you?

 

[webber]

do you think a watered down 'advisory' committee that they control is going to represent you?

No, but if we simply leave it to them they will use it to justify further changes or who knows what else, because according to them, the UKRAC will be the voice of the membership

While we might not agree on the best path to take, I think we all agree on the end goal.
We should focus on that common goal!
I would wholeheartedly support EGM2 or a UKRAC candidate that gets us on step closer to having a Nominet registry which is run like a non-profit not a FTSE corporation

 

[monaghan]

Forgive me but I've heard this same speech many times over the past 20 years. A second EGM is the only thing that would be of interest to me. Everything else can go whistle - it's not worth my breath it has all been said before. Of course everyone else is free to do whatever makes them think they have a say. Oh and David is a prick who changed his tune the moment he got people to vote for him - I use him as an example because either he intended to be a nominet stooge all along or they corrupted him into a yes man the moment he was selected - the other guy couldn't even be bothered to pretend he cared but apparently us people who need a voice 'voted' for him...

Out of interest, have you attended any of the Nominet events and actually met or worked with any of them? I've disagreed with many of them on policy over the years, but they've all been really nice people (even Russell and Eleanor!)

 

[ukbackorder]

There's a difference between business and personal. Some people can be very nice people but still ruthless in business. Anyway that's my opinion and we have 20 years of nominet history to back it up. But I'm sure nominet will throw some bones out (seems to be working already) to stop people noticing that actually they pretty much ignored the EGM and the will of their members. I'd like them just to split members and tags so I don't have to pay to be a member and can just go about dropcatching and trying to get them to sort their systems out (which apparently they're still incapable of). Maybe you should put yourself forward for the RAC?

 

[monaghan]

So with 2 out of 6 voices (assuming those 2 give the correct voice) you think you're going 'to get Nominet back to being a registry'? Nominet are the masters of 'look over there' tactics to ignore the will of their members and do what they want anyway. They've already proven that by their current CEO and how they pretty much ignored the mandated result of the EGM (Eleanor Bradley removed? Nah lets promote her. Nobody will say anything) If they can ignore that and deflect attention whilst apparently appeasing members do you think a watered down 'advisory' committee that they control is going to represent you?

Of course not, just as I didn't think if I'd got the NED position a few years ago that I'd have changed Nominet from the inside all by just turning up to a meeting.

What makes you think that the 2 "middle tier" seats are going to be Nominet yes men?

 

[ukbackorder]

Why wouldn't they? Seriously Alex this is a waste of time. You are asking us really to ignore how they HAVE behaved over 20 years and accept that this may be different. It might... but why would it? What possible benefit for nominet would there be? They can ALREADY do exactly what they want (and have). Their whole purpose is trying to figure out how to make us think we have a say whilst pushing through their own agenda. This has been shown with price hikes, unwanted extensions, *stealing* our money to funnel into their own ends, laughable promotions for large registrars, giving us 'smaller people' a voice through people like David Thornton (aren't they kind to us little folk?). Even now they have pushed people away from a second EGM (as they ignored the first) and left us to discuss the RAC (which nobody wanted). Look behind you!
*edit I just realised I have a lot of brackets - sorry about that

 

[monaghan]

There's a difference between business and personal. Some people can be very nice people but still ruthless in business. Anyway that's my opinion and we have 20 years of nominet history to back it up. But I'm sure nominet will throw some bones out (seems to be working already) to stop people noticing that actually they pretty much ignored the EGM and the will of their members. I'd like them just to split members and tags so I don't have to pay to be a member and can just go about dropcatching and trying to get them to sort their systems out (which apparently they're still incapable of). Maybe you should put yourself forward for the RAC?

I hope they never split the tagholder and membership, without needing to be a member, then it becomes just a financial transaction, we need people who care, we've seen what leaving it down to the number crunchers has done already over the last 5-10 years.

If I did put myself forward, then I expect with my consultancy business, I'd sit in the middle tier rather than the secondary market tier so you'd still need to representatives.

 

[ukbackorder]

Well good luck to you all. Accepting the RAC you really are just deciding which is your favourite method of being abused. At least you have a 'choice' of the method I obviously won't be voting for anyone.

 

[webber]

Rob, this isn't about accepting the RAC but rather making sure the RAC doesn't fall in the wrong hands and then be used to justify policy changes, price increases or other things like that.
If we get the right 4 people on the RAC they could for example boycott meetings by not attending and the quorum wouldn't be met.
Or hijack the dictated agenda and propose meaningful topics to be discussed.
It's much more efficient to fight from the inside than just criticise from the outside.