Everyone who reads this blog will know that it hasn’t been plain sailing at auDA for the past 20 to 24 months.
Do I think it will get better in time? Yes, I do. But there needs to be some sensible changes first. And in my opinion, unless there are signals from the auDA Board that these changes are imminent, then members and stakeholders will continue to agitate and express their concerns via all means available to them.
Part of this process will start when the Government Report is released later today. In today’s article by The Age, it’s banner reads:
“Web agency not fit-for-purpose, government review finds”
Here is an excerpt:
“In a statement, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield echoed the review’s findings that the organisation was not fit-for-purpose, and would need to make significant changes to maintain its authority.
The review’s findings include 29 recommendations to bring the operation of .au more into line with the needs of Australian internet users, including increased transparency, greater representation of stakeholders and requirements for conflict of interest checks.
The government has accepted all 29 recommendations.”
Upcoming SGM (Special General Meeting)
Still no word on when this is to be held, but auDA now seems to have a perfect storm about to descend on it. Most people that I speak to (and I still get calls and emails every day) do not want auDA to “Crash & Burn”.
They simply want better leadership, and properly managed processes.
You don’t need to be a Rhodes Scholar to know that both Supply and Demand are lining up with the proverbial “baseball bats” when it comes to Resolution 1 – the vote of no confidence in the current CEO. If you asked me to put money on this resolution passing overwhelmingly, I would have no hesitation. It’s not often that Supply and Demand come together at auDA, but they did last year when it came to removing the then Chair.
If I was the current Chair, I would be reaching out to the organisers of the Grumpier campaign right now. I imagine there are some common sense solutions that could be tabled without the need for an actual SGM. But that’s just my opinion, and I could be wrong.
Having suggested that, it’s not helpful when confidential information about one of the organisers gets leaked to the media. Whoever was behind this – and I’m not suggesting anyone in particular – it was quite despicable – and “dirty pool”. I very much feel for the individual who was targeted so unfairly.
Ned O’Meara – 18th April 2018
Disclaimer
Serious issues have been raised by this SGM and so far auDA has not addressed them. Instead they are wasting time attacking former management.
The big one is the direct registration proposal that I believe most members and the public do not want, and secondly auDA not passing on the full registry price reduction to Australian business.
Ned, they didn’t listen to you before. They will not be listening to you now. Have you realised this yet, stop wasting your time and year of Demand and Supply experience posting suggestions which would help.
They do not want suggestions. They appear to think they know it all. Facts show this is not reality however.
Nothing will change. People already know the rumours of someone being suspended for 1 month after the last AGM and sent home, offers of $1,200,000 for them to leave which was later found to be too much from legal advice, then an offer of $800,000 to leave which they turned down etc. I suppose as time goes by they will keep taking the money and get to that $1,200,000 total and may leave? Who know… members are kept from knowing the truth it seems.
This makes the amounts of the auDA PPB Report aimed to discredit those who left years ago leaks laughable..
Some people know who leaked the PPB Report report and people know who is actively setting up fake twitter accounts to attack the Grumpier campaign Jim, Paul and Josh.
The funny thing is the Department of Communications and Liberal Party have had people on the auDA Board all of this time also? What have they been doing? Nothing to date… That raises very serious questions about their lack of proper oversight.
What has the Government observers at auDA Board meetings being doing for the last 17 years at the auDA meetings and with all of the previous reports they had access to?
So the old auditors and old Lawyers also missed all of this did they?
Giving them more time is just pi$$ing money .au domain name registrant away.
Where is the 60% lower .au wholesale price drop which Afilias won the new contract with?
Where are all of the auDA Trip reports to show they are doing things better and with less expense?
Why have so many people resigned or left under the new management?
What is the cost of all of the legal settlements for those who have left? What threats or legal letters have they received to stay quiet on things they know which are wrong?
The government has admitted they did not monitor auDA properly. I am doubtful things will change if they keep believing what auDA is telling them.
The Ministers, media and advisors should attend the next SGM. That will be very revealing.
How about this? auDA spending .au domain name Consumer money to build the Timor Leste namespace and pay consultants to do it from auDA funds? This is not allowed under the auDA Constitution or letter of Government authority of auDA which is very specific to a role of managing the .au name space…. Not other countries!
https://www.dntrade.com.au/threads/is-auda-operating-outside-of-government-letter-of-authority-and-auda-au-namespace-constitution.11837/#post-91932
https://www.auda.org.au/news/auda-and-aptld-commit-to-assist-timor-leste-in-a-ground-breaking-capacity-building-project-in-the-pacific-region/
I look forward to the day CB and some others at auDA are brought to task.
If these characters are not acting in the public interest (which it seems to me), I really hope examples are made of them!
Enough is enough!