Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) gets low marks.
The percentage of people rating ICANN’s performance as “Good” has hit its lowest point since Domain Name Wire started its annual survey five years ago.
In the fifth survey, including responses from over 500 people in the domain name industry, only 12% rated their satisfaction with ICANN as “good”. That’s down from 33% in 2006.
40% of respondents rated ICANN “poor”, up from only 19% in 2006.
The survey involved participants in 49 countries. Most survey takers were domain investors, but also include domain name registrars and other service providers.
Part of ICANN’s challenge is that major policy changes and disputes tend to turn warring sides against ICANN in addition to each other. A major stumbling block lately has been the much delayed rollout of new top level domain names (e.g. .NYC, .Music). ICANN originally planned to accept applications last year, but delays have mounted as trademark interests and other third parties have weighed-in.
M. Menius says
ICANN are in a new age. One in which accountability is a real requirement. I believe that the policy days of just slip it on through are gone. Rightfully so.
There are many business interests at stake, and look at how critically important the internet has become compared to its beginnings. ICANN must change with the times and that now requires that they inject as much integrity and objectivity as possible into the policy development process.
Their decisions are not light weight and consequently must be evolved carefully such that the greatest benefit is realized and the worst impact is minimized.