auDA Again Engages in Quasi-Consultation

In their mad rush to tick lots of boxes for the implementation of direct registration and new licensing rules, auDA are engaging in another frenetic bout of emails telling their mailing list of a new series of “public consultations”.

Don’t get me wrong, in principle, any sort of consultation is to be commended. But it has to be done thoroughly and properly. See below.

The Government (DoCA) told auDA in a letter dated 5th August 2019 that, inter alia :

it appears that much of auDA’s consultation has centered on notifying stakeholders via correspondence rather than comprehensive dialogue based on a mutual understanding of the potential impact of the proposed changes.

What about QLD and the rest of Australia?

But again it appears as if auDA has learnt nothing from the pain of the past few years. Their public consultation workshops are only going to happen in three venues. The rest of Australia has to hop online. Anyone who has ever participated in an auDA online workshop / forum knows how inadequate that is compared to in room participation.

  • South-East Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra) is not the Australian internet community.
  • Government is not the Australian internet community.

The Australian internet community are individuals and businesses located all over Australia.

C’mon auDA – you’ve got plenty of registrants money in the bank (even after paying the ex-CEO out a year’s salary when he didn’t deserve it).

How about showing all Australian registrants the respect they deserve and broaden your horizons outside of the South-East bubble!

People and businesses all over Australia want to ask questions (and probably give you some decent feedback) about such things as:

  • Allocation and implementation rules; and
  • The cut-off date determining .au priority category; and
  • The proposed .au ‘lockdown’ model.

In my opinion of course.

Ned O’Meara – 4th October 2019

9 thoughts on “auDA Again Engages in Quasi-Consultation

  • October 4, 2019 at 10:40 am
    Permalink

    Why don’t auDA stream this live for people not able to attend in person? How do all stakeholders who want to be part of the process take part when they cant get to these limited locations and poor times?

    Why start Sydney at 8 am ? Seriously? It seems they do not want many to attend again.

    Why did auDA record the other meetings but Never stream them and fight tooth and nail not to disclose what was said at these PUBLIC meetings?

    This is the same Con Job and i am sure it will be exposed.

    https://www.itwire.com/strategy/83762-auda-panel-moves-to-delete-record-of-past-meetings.html

    I have NO confidence in those running these events and the minutes and statements coming out of the PRP, Consultants and auDA to date have been highly inaccurate. A total Sham.

    auDA wasted over $500,000 on fake consultations in 2018 for the total of only 78 non auDA related people attending nationwide. It was a total con job to “Give the appearance”of consultation I can quote the ex auDA CEO of saying in a meeting I attended. That made me realise the farce they had undertaken was not to be believed.

    https://www.dntrade.com.au/threads/auda-prp-meeting-audio-and-presentation-request-on-auda-website-for-public.11765/

    “I have written to the auDA CEO Cameron Boardman to request they make available on the auDA website publicly in full ( unredacted /not edited) both the recorded audio and presentations from their auDA PRP meetings in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
    _____________________________________________
    Mr. Cameron Boardman
    CEO
    .au Domain Administration Limited
    cameron.boardman@auda.org.au
    https://www.auda.org.au/contact/
    Telephone: 1300 732 929, 03 8341 4111
    http://www.auda.org.au
    Address: 114 Cardigan Street Carlton, VIC 3053 Australia
    ABN 38 079 009 340
    ACN 079 009 340

    Dear Cameron,

    In line with the auDA Constitution may I request that auDA makes available on the auDA website the full PRP meeting audios and presentations as soon is possible.

    The auDA PRP events are public events and I am aware auDA had them recorded. I phoned auDA today and left a message for yourself also to request this.

    Public access to this information will also enable people to listen to the issues, view the PRP presentations, PRP suggestions / proposals. People can them make a more informed PRP submission.

    It is crucial that auDA makes this information available to the public and make it available to all existing .au registrant domain name consumers. This request fully meets the auDA Constitution and public rights to information.

    I request a response to this email to advise when this will be done.

    The auDA PRP public events should also have been set up to allow live streaming. auDA should also have sent the invitation to all existing .au registrants via email to attend or watch the streaming.

    With approximately just 70 (?) attendees in total so far in Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, and very few members of the public from that group breakdown, I would not say the events have been successful at all nor have people been provided the full rights to speak or ask questions or have them answered in full. Most people do not know about it and even those who attended came at the request of others attending in most cases.

    The auDA Board should also be aware of the PRP meeting audio/ presentations and the detrimental affect they are already having on the .au namespace.

    This damage created by auDA may be irreversible unless it is stopped and stopped quickly. I am sure this was not the goal of auDA management to hurt the existing .au namespace but this has already occurred now. ………………………….

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    BACKGROUND:
    https://www.auda.org.au/news/auda-policy-review-panel-forums-2018/

    auDA Policy Review Panel Forums 2018
    Posted by auDA on 23 January 2018

    .au is changing. auDA is the administrator and industry self-regulatory policy body for Australia’s .au domain space. We’re undertaking a review of the policies governing the .au name space. We need your input to ensure that .au works for everybody.

    We’re holding a series of public forums around Australia in February to share some of the proposed changes to the .au space and to get the public’s input into how it should work.

    The events are open to everybody, but you must register to attend. You can register via the links below.

    Perth
    Mon 5 Feb, 10:00am, Four Points by Sheraton
    Register for Perth

    Sydney
    Fri 9 Feb, 10:00am, Rydges Sydney Central
    Register for Sydney

    Melbourne
    Wed 14 Feb, 10:00am, Novotel on Collins
    Register for Melbourne

    Brisbane
    Fri 16 Feb, 10:00am, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
    Register for Brisbane

    Why are these events important?
    The .au namespace is a critical part of Australia’s digital infrastructure. It’s auDA’s role to ensure it works for the whole Australian community. Through these events we’re hoping to get a wide range of perspectives on how .au can evolve and maintain its reputation as a highly trusted and secure namespace.

    Learn more about .au policy
    To keep up to date on the latest policy developments, be sure to check our 2017 Policy Review Panel page and you can also sign up to receive auDA news.​

    __________________________________________________________
    https://www.auda.org.au/about-auda/our-org/constitution/

    3.2 Activities
    Without reducing the effect of clause 4, auDA will see to achieve its principal purposes as set out in clause 3.1 through:
    a. ensuring the continued operational stability of the domain name system in Australia;
    b. establishing mechanisms to ensure it is responsive and accountable to the supply and demand sides of the Australian Internet Community;
    c. the promotion of competition in the provision of domain name services;
    d. the promotion of fair trading;
    e. the promotion of consumer protection;
    f. adopting open and transparent procedures which are inclusive of all parties having an interest in use of the domain name system in Australia;
    g. ensuring its operations produce timely outputs which are relevant to the needs of the Australian Internet Community.
    (Amended by Special Resolution, 14 August 2006) ​”

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  • October 5, 2019 at 8:51 pm
    Permalink

    Looks like I’m going to have to fly from Perth to Melbourne to complain about the notorious “cut-off date” in-person for Category 1 status, which clearly needs to be MOVED for the THIRD TIME.

    Proclaiming a magical “cut-off date” over the past few years while MOVING THE GOALPOSTS every six months (as to when Direct Reg will be implemented) has been a complete farce.

    NO FORESIGHT by The PRP, who were in charge of creating this train-wreck concept.

    Shame on the PRP for inventing this “cut-off date” nightmare that continues to HAUNT the Australian domain name industry and Australian businesses in general.

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    • October 6, 2019 at 5:19 am
      Permalink

      Cut off date would only matter to those who intend to register .au which will be crap, another .id.au

      So who cares / what’s the issue

      Sounds like you want to be first in line to order a turd sandwich

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      • October 6, 2019 at 7:12 am
        Permalink

        I have to agree with this. If domainers are barely interested in .net.au, what’s the preoccupation with .au all about, when it will be 25 years behind .net.au and will have the same difficulty ranking on Google that .net.au used to have a decade ago?

        .au creates an opportunity for .com.au and .net.au holders, as .com.au and .net.au rank well and are familiar and trusted, whereas non-commercial sites and spammers will plague .au from the get-go.

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        • October 6, 2019 at 9:31 am
          Permalink

          This is not about debating the merits (if any) of .au (direct reg). Or what’s going to rank higher or lower.

          From the get go – as in the 2015 Names Panel – it was always envisaged that existing registrants were to have some form or “prior rights or protection” if direct registration was introduced. Just like the UK and NZ did.

          Whether existing registrants then want to take up .au is their choice, but at least they have a “right” or an “option”.

          The allocation method that auDA have come up with is crazy imo, and simply devised to enrich the supply side. There is no commercial fairness or equity.

          The “cut-off date” was devised on the basis that direct reg would be in place from now (October 2019). If auDA keep moving the implementation date back, then to my mind it seems only fair that they also move the “cut-off date” back.

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          • October 6, 2019 at 10:00 am
            Permalink

            This has been partially edited by Admin.

            ———————————————–

            .uk was FREE and automatically reserved for the .co.uk holder. auDA and their incompetant rigged Policy Review Panel never nention this.

            Over recent years some people have registered .net.au , .id.au to blackmail ,com.au holders.

            Also Registrars and auDA are not disclosing to new .com.au etc registrants anything about how the proposed additonal competing direct .au will affect them, if they are in fact eligible etc.

            The bonuses that auDA recently paid themselves of over $1,000,000 out of auDA Funds was based on them falsely completing claimed tasks.

            This has all been rigged and manipulated by what I believe are fraudulent processes , bullying, rigging and lies.

            —————- sentence deleted ———————————–

            Crazy arrogant mismanagement lining their pockets.

            It would seem by the recent leak to media by the ex auDA Chair Chris Leptos about the ex auDA CEO Blair Cameron Boardman this fraud has in some cases been partially exposed.

            A Royal Commission into auDA is required immediately and whistleblower protection offered. A lot of people know things about this fraudulent mismanagement of the Australian Critical Infrastructure and namespace.

  • October 6, 2019 at 3:24 pm
    Permalink

    Is there a simplified explanation of what auda proposes? I’ve lost track with all the chop changing and streams of online documents.

    • October 7, 2019 at 6:48 am
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      No there’s not. That’s why it will be good to attend one of the workshops in person and get to ask questions. But unless you live in Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra, you’re rooted. You have to rely on the online workshop.

  • October 15, 2019 at 10:15 am
    Permalink

    Well, it looks like the consultation has broadened again (slightly) after the addition of Brisbane.
    I see today that two online consultations have been added on 30 October (plus the original this Thursday). That helps me because the first time slot was going to be a pain.
    Mind you, I’ve received no email or anything notifying me of the additions, nor a commitment from auda to at least webcast the F2F sessions so we can watch them, if not participate actively. My concern is that every conversation will run differently and different bits of information may arise at each.
    Anyway, there you go – 3 online sessions

Comments are closed.