Beckstrom: "ICANN is functioning properly [because] the Internet is functioning properly"

Forget about problems like cybersquatting, unethical registrar practices, and the blatant commercialization of domains ICANN has allowed to go on for years. Oh no, everything is fine at the California organization. In a recent statement, new CEO Rod Beckstrom eased all doubts:

There will always be different voices out there, but the ultimate proof that ICANN is functioning properly is that the Internet is functioning properly.

Really, Mr. Beckstrom? Really? I think ICANN’s new leader needs to learn more about his audience. Domainers are smart people who know their trade well. They understand the web, its history, and many are also adept server admins and programmers. Who does Beckstrom think he is speaking to, primary school children?

The CEO may have just started, but he needs to learn that a little fast talk isn’t enough to quell the worries of the domaining world. Many notables, including Congress and the EU, have criticized the organization’s performance and structure. And their attacks have been fair and certainly well overdue.
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ICANN Chooses Likely Candidate for CEO

ICANN seems to have made headway in its search for a new CEO to replace Paul Twomey, who has headed the organization since 2003 but plans on leaving this year. According to two individuals speaking on the condition of anonymity, the top candidate for the position is Rod Beckstrom, the former U.S. cybersecurity chief.

A Fulbright Scholar, Beckstrom has served as the CEO of a software firm and co-launched a web 2.0 company, but doesn’t have any experience with domains.

Beckstrom was the first Director of the National Cyber Security Center, but resigned less than a year after being appointed, citing funding shortfalls and lack of cooperation from the National Security Administration (NSA).

While the Stanford graduate may be doing a happy dance now, the ICANN informants warn that the decision is not final and that negotiations could still fall through.

Source: AP