In the latest comments it has submitted to the Chair of the PrepCom, ISOC has clarified its position on the control of the root zone file by the US government. It suggests that: " the internationalization of this responsibility is desirable when stakeholders can be sure that such internationalization strengthens the security, stability and continuity of the Internet, while ensuring its openness".   Those dismissing ISOC because it would be USG-aligned will have to think twice in the future.

The recent move of the DoC regarding .XXX is symptomatic that its goals are not the ones it advertises. In the case of the root zone file, The DoC should have the role of a guardian angel, an external witness that the requested changes are not a threat to the stability of the DNS. Obviously, this was not the case. The DoC has now injected the moral and political values of the most conservative part of the Republican administration in what should be a purely technical process. Many countries are not going to buy that.

The Internet Society has been participating in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) http://www.itu.int/wsis/ and will participate in the next meeting in Tunis this coming November.

The Summit has a PrepCom coming up in September and ISOC intends to continue its efforts to inform WSIS and related efforts and so will participate in the coming PrepCom. To do so most effectively, we encourage all members to make their views on this subject known. You can do this here at: http://geneva.isoc.org/surveys/index.php?sid=3.

The transcript of the morning session of the WGIG is available here . It includes some interesting comments on ICANN from Paul Twomey.
Stay tuned for more.

The afternoon session is also online.