Interesting times continue with the Board and management of auDA.
This previous article highlighted the departure of three Directors. What I find very strange (and disappointing) is that there has still been no official notification to members of these changes.
Also Board Meetings appear to have been rescheduled quite dramatically. Normally auDA is consistent as a Swiss clock with their regular meetings every two months. This was the schedule as at June:
Then fast forward to July for a completely new schedule. They had slipped a meeting in during March; and then two additional Board Meetings were suddenly scheduled for July – just two days apart. The August meeting has been put back to the end of the month (which happens today).
Annual General Meeting – 2016
The big question is when is this going to be held? Given there is a Board Meeting today, I imagine this will be “signed off” today. No doubt members will be informed shortly.
According to auDA’s website, they hold the Annual General Meeting in October/ November each year. I have checked the last 5 years, and this has indeed been the case.
Here’s a prediction for you though. I would not be surprised if they schedule this year’s meeting for the first week in December.
This is only supposition on my part, and I guess we will find out soon enough. If it is set down for December, then stand by for another article. I will be questioning the motivation for doing this – particularly as this will allow a whole new swag of membership applications to be accepted at today’s Board Meeting. Given the three month rule under the Constitution, these new members will then be entitled to vote and elect Directors. If the AGM is held in November, then any new membership accepted today would not be eligible.
Why am I dubious? I guess it’s because of what I reported back on August 16:
Item 13 – Membership
We can’t win. Everyone (including the auDA Board), is keen on increasing membership. So when some of us go out there and beat the drum to our constituencies and generate many membership applications, this is the comment that appears in the Minutes (bolding is mine):
“The Board noted the unusually high number of membership applications received since the last Board meeting. It was agreed that issues regarding the potential for membership stacking and capture are a matter for the Risk Committee to review and report to the Board in due course”.
What do you think?
Ned O’Meara – 30 August 2016
Disclaimer
The government probably needs to step in given the current AUDA situation, the board is broken, the CEO is sacked for no stated reason, the membership base is a farce. I think they probably need all independent directors going forward. AUDA doesn’t have any credibility and they should not be deciding on anything important in the state they are in.
*pulls up a seat and grabs popcorn*
Interesting observation. I’m glad someone is keeping an eye on things!
Thanks mate. Speaking of keeping an eye on things, I just noticed on LinkedIn that Erhan Karabardak was quick to post his new position – Deputy Chairman at auDA. Obviously this was organised at Board Meeting today.
Department of Communications needs to take over admin of the Australian domain name system right now. Now is the time to end the mess.
Cut out auDA and do not extend it’s contract term after 2017. This will save $millions of dollars of wastage and self interested parties most with conflicts of interest and commercial interests as their priority not the Australian domain name holder or business or consumer.
Cut our Ausregistry / foreign owned Neustar in USA and do not extend it’s contract after 2017. They have made 4millions of dollars but now they are foerign owned it is not proper for them to continue and they are not needed if Dept of Comms takes it over.
Reduce wholesale domain name prices by cutting out all these middlemen.
Have a board made up on more cross section.
FREE membership for all Australian domain name registrants.
No vote rigging, board stacking, false information on the need for another australian domain name extension.
No more junkets, no more first class airfares and royal treatment of expenses
Cut out the auDA Foundation scam.
Cut out the Award dinners scam.
Focus on secure system to make sure the domain name system stays up without red tape and without the costs these bodies take and waste.
It aligns perfectly with the Departments existing infrastructure and resources. https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/internet
People can be confident their voice will be heard by contacting the department and other government officials, Ombudsman’s, Senate Commitee’s, MP’s etc. It is all set up already. etc coyhttps://www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say.
Department of Communications updates the daily drop list and runs the drop system. Profits made go back to consolidated revenue ensuring low price wholesale prices. This money can fund what auDA and Ausregistry/ Neustar is doing plus have money left over!
People will trust the government run drop perhaps more than other current bidding platforms some of which have had reported questionable instances occur.
Registrars/ resellers etc can all apply via the department of Communications. Complaints can go to the Department.
Any domain name disputes will be handled via the Department of Communications low cost ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution Procedures. Registrants will no longer be forced to spend vast amount to protect their ownership of names against reverse domain name hijackers with deeper pockets http://www.rdnh.com The Department can ban regular complainants who are lodging false claims and disputes for the purposes of reverse domain name hijacking it from the existing rightful registrant
No new Australian domain name extensions.
There will be NO CHANGE OF REGISTRANT FEES. names will be transferred to the new owner at no cost using the remaining registration period.
Innovation – Names will be cheaper, less costly for disputes, more transparency, less Vote rigging and board stacking, increased income for the government and taxpayers. Domain name registration , renewals and change of registrant profits will no longer be sent to overseas foreign owned companies who in some cases pay very little Australian taxes or offer any benefit to Australia.
Long term auDA staff are treated fairly and offered redundancy or advised with a good notice period NOW the auDA contract will not be renewed in 2017 thus giving them ample time to look for new roles or careers or places of employment or business.
The Department of Communications will show a list of it’s accredited registrars/ resellers etc and their pricing ( if the registrar/ resellers wishes.. some like Melbourne IT might not want this as it will show people how far above market pricing they price the exact same service of Domain name registration, renewal or Change of Regitrant. In some cases their charges are over 1000% more than others and more time consuming ( COR’s).
The $10 million auDA has in the bank it made from domain name auctions, registrations, renewals and change of registrant fees will go back to the Department of Communications to offset any costs on transition and set up.
When auDA was given the role years ago it was NOT meant to be forever. They tendered for it. Now the time has come for it to go to being aligned with the Department of Communications as too many self interest and conflicts of interest have been shown by “self regulation”.
I’d vote for that.
I vote yes to this also
there should really be a “please explain” from the government on what they have been doing in their roll, just coming to sit in on a board meeting it only satisfying “lip service”
tim
It appears there are others with a similar interest as you Ned https://audanews.wordpress.com/
Interesting Paul – wonder who’s behind that? Wouldn’t have a thought that an FOI request would get beyond first base!
The un needed proposed .au extension is a sham.
The only people to benefit will be registrars and again auDA and supply board members including Trademark IP Domain Name Lawyers…
Time to cancel the auDA and Ausregistry contract’s, sack the board and bring in an Administrator.