In my opinion, one of the biggest problems with auDA these days is that they don’t want to listen to their members concerns.
Because if they listened and engaged, then we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in today. Them and us.
I’ve been a member of many auDA working groups and panels over the years – because I wanted to participate in determining the future of .au. Why? Because I was a stakeholder with a large portfolio of .au domain names. So there was plenty of self-interest, but I always tabled that up front.
In the early days, it was joked that I was the “token domainer” on these panels! But I always put my views in a constructive manner – and sometimes I was on the losing side. And I accepted that as democracy in action.
The thing that I really liked about the old auDA was that whenever something significant was contemplated for the .au space, they always got working groups and panels together from a cross-section of stakeholders in the Australian internet community. Supply, Demand and Government.
Here We Are Today
♦ New Chairman; new CEO. Some like me thought this would be a breath of fresh air, but alas it has turned into puffery.
♦ Lots of staffers with loads of collective experience out the door.
♦ Contemplated policy changes are determined by decree or outsourced “experts” rather than by industry based panels.
♦ Communication, transparency and engagement with members are no longer in play (though the CEO tries to pretend otherwise).
♦ Elected Directors are muzzled from properly engaging with the people that voted for them.
♦ Changes are summarily introduced on a “fait accompli” basis without reference to the long standing constitutional rights of members.
I could go on …
Don’t Shoot The Messenger
I know I am “hated” with a vengeance by certain auDA Directors. I’ve heard that I’m described as simply an agitator. I have been called “disgusting” by the Chairman (who used to be a friend) – and he has also accused me of cyber-bullying female Directors. I have asked him three times in writing to substantiate this latter claim – but nothing has been forthcoming.
The CEO has little time for me, and any answers he does deign to give me are couched in “political speak”.
There is no online portal provided by auDA for members to ask questions and get replies, so it’s up to blogs like mine, and forums like DNTrade, to highlight issues that affect us.
auDA, if you properly and constructively engage with your members, then you wouldn’t face this angst and impending rebellion.
Ned O’Meara – 16th June 2017
Disclaimer
AUDA seems incapable of seeing things from the perspective of members, how bad some recent decisions look. They need to reconsider rather than spending time trying to jutify things.
HUGE NEWS!
https://www.dntrade.com.au/threads/members-are-grumpy-auda.11452/#post-86588
http://www.grumpy.com.au/petition/
auDA: Call for Member Meeting
Call for General Meeting
We request that the Directors of the .au Domain Administration Ltd ACN 079 009 340 (auDA) call a general meeting of all Members to be convened pursuant to Section 249D of the Corporations Act 2001. We note that Directors must call the meeting within 21 days of this notice, and that the meeting must take place within 2 months from the date of receipt of this request.
We have the support of at least 5% of members; whose signatures are included in electronic format, as per the Corporations Act 2001 and auDA Constitution.
We also give you notice of our intentions to move the following resolutions at that meeting.
Members will be asked to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions as ordinary resolutions:
Resolution 1
“That all historical Board Minutes, Agendas and Reports (public versions) are restored to the auDA website; and that future Board Minutes, Agendas and Reports (public versions) are published in a timely manner.”
Resolution 2
“That the recently imposed Members Code of Conduct is in contravention of (13.3) and (29) of the auDA Constitution, and therefore needs to be suspended until approved by a special resolution of Members.”
Resolution 3
“That auDA is not a wholesale registry as defined by its OBJECTS and Principal Purposes under (3) of the auDA Constitution. If auDA wishes to change its purposes, objects or scope, then it must first put a special resolution to its Members by virtue of (16.3.d) of the Constitution.”
Resolution 4
“That Stuart Benjamin be removed as a director of the Company with immediate effect.”
No further business will be included at this meeting.
Thanks for signing!
http://www.transparency.org/what-is-corruption/#what-is-transparency