Latest rumors and thoughts from ICANN meeting.
The third “official” day of the ICANN meeting in San Francisco has hit its midway point. The big show is later this evening as President Bill Clinton takes the stage. Unfortunately the venue won’t accommodate everyone to view the speech, so attendees will need to get there early to see it in person.
Here is a bit of what I’m hearing and observing at the conference:
1. I’m hearing whispers that the board may do more than what is currently expected about new TLDs at its meeting Friday. I’ve heard this from a couple people who want to see new TLDs passed quickly, so perhaps it’s just a glass-half-full thing. On the other hand, I’ve talked to several knowledgeable people who think approval could be delayed significantly.
2. The .xxx rally tomorrow should be interesting. Sounds like some of the adult entertainment people aren’t all that well organized or have the funds to make it to SFO, but I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
3. If .xxx doesn’t get approved in full Friday, you can expect the new gTLD timeline to be derailed.
4. The Westin St. Francis is too small of a venue for this huge crowd. It’s a confusing maze of hallways, floors, and “mezzanines”. (Think you’re on the second floor? Nope, you’re just on the mezzanine.) There’s very little place to sit and talk with people.
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