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The current Internet Protocol addressing system (IPv4) faces depletion. To make sure the next billion consumers will be able to connect to the Internet, a transition to the next-generation address system (IPv6) is underway. The At-Large community is contributeing to policies that ensure IPv4 and IPv6 can coexist and interoperate.
How to Join Us
If you would like to work with ICANN to help shape the Internet, keep it safe, and educate consumers, we invite you and your organization to join the At-Large community. For more information about how to get involved, please contact At-Large staff at staff@atlarge.icann.org.
Annex 1: Frequently Asked Questions
Why should our consumer group use its limited resources to work with ICANN?
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Intellectual property also forms the core of a number of issues in the consumer interest, from trademark protection and consumer confusion concerns (particularly important in the marketing and purchasing of pharmaceutical and medical products online). Freedom‐of‐expression issues also raise some fascinating questions (should the general public be prohibited from creating and purchasing a .hitler domain? Who should own the rights to .god? Or .allah?)
Annex 2: A Glossary of ICANN Acronyms and Terms
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ALS – At‐Large Structure. A group or organization, subject to accreditation, that makes up the members of a Regional At‐Large Structure, the entities that elect members to the At‐Large Advisory Committee and help determine policies and priorities for Internet users. ALSes are the grass-roots basis of the At-Large community.
BC – The Business Constituency. Represents business interests in ICANN policy matters, as a stakeholder body in the Generic Names Supporting Organization.
BGC – Board Governance Committee. Currently a six‐member group that assists the ICANN board and reviews its performance.
ccNSO – Country Code Names Supporting Organization. The policy development body for issues regarding country‐code top level domains (such as .us for the United States, .cn for China, .au for Australia).
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Domain hack – A way of using a domain suffix to create a longer name or reference, often as a form of pun. For instance, perpetrators of the “goatse” incident used the Christmas Island country‐code top‐level domain .cx to create an infamous “shock” Web site, goatse.cx, that depicted a repulsive picture. Another famous domain hack is del.icio.us
GAC (“gack”) -- -The Government Advisory Committee. Made up of representatives from more than 125 countries’ governments. Carries some responsibility and identity for representing the interests of consumers or, more specifically, citizens.
GNSO – The Generic Names Supporting Organization. Deals with policymaking regards generic top‐level domains, which include the familiar .com, .net, .biz, .org and .edu. Regarded as the main ICANN policy‐ making body, despite its scope. Its voting forum is the GNSO council, or sometimes called just “council,” on which the constituencies have voting seats.
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NCUC – The Non‐Commercial Users Constituency. Under current plans the NCUC, which has three votes on the Generic Names Supporting Organization council, would be reformed into the Non‐commercial stakeholders group. NCUC participants include public‐interest, advocacy and other kinds of groups, educational institutions and others.
NomCom – Nominating Committee. Members are appointed by users’ regions. In turn, the Nominating Committee makes appointments, via applications, to the ALAC and other parts of ICANN.
PDP – Policy Development Process. Can be requested by an ICANN constituency in certain circumstances where policy needs to be created for the administration or solution of a problem.
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RAA – Registrar Accreditation Agreement. A legal contract that binds ICANN and registrars of domains (for instance, GoDaddy and Network Solutions) to a number of provisions. The RAA could be considered one of the most important documents affecting consumers within the ICANN universe.
Root, Root file, root zone – No easy definition, but generally, a reference to the core of the Internet address system and its servers, essential to the function of the Internet.
RyC – The Registry Constituency. Like the Registrar Constituency and Business Constituency, this one represents the interests of registries (such as PIR, the registry for .org) on the Generic Names Supporting Organization council.
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