From: "Tom Doehne" <tdoehne@gmail.com>
To: <DNSTransition@ntia.doc.gov>
Date: Wed, Jun 28, 2006 11:09 AM
Subject: The Continued Transition of the Technical Coordination and Management of the Internet Domain Name and Addressing System

Dear NTIA,

We are in an age where free flow of information is the key to prosperity. For this reason, the management of vital infrastructure must be in the control of an institution without inherent commercial or national interests.

Any international board controlled by representatives of some nations would be vulnerable to capture by an alliance of some of them. It is easy to forsee a cabal of despots attempting to seize the internet. A for-profit commercial entity or institution controlled by them would be vulnerable to financial corruption. A for-profit entity would, under pressure to show good financial results, quickly succumb to the temptation to misuse its power. Nations and businesses are vulnerable to the temptation to protect or gain advantage by restricting the flow of information. For that reason, both are poor guardians of the internet in the long run.

The best institution would be a non-profit foundation controlled by non-profit, non-governmental institutions with an interest in the free flow of information. The foundation board members should be chosen or elected by non-profit educational institutions. The institutions that choose the boards should be private, not be controlled by any other financial interest or national government. The foundation should be advised by two panels,
which would represent national and commercial interests, but should be free of coercion from either.

I applaud the decision to put control of the internet namespace in private hands. For the sake of our future prosperity, put it in non-commercial hands as well!

Sincerely,

Thomas Doehne
Novato, California, USA