Paul Twomey reports that ICANN staff is getting 145,000 emails a day.  "A lot of that is spam."

Also says that ICANN has "operationally gotten less responsive over the last six to eighteen months."  His suggestion is that "organizations tend to experience a tipping point where systems and processes are overwhelmed by the complexity that the organization faces."  So ICANN has to become stronger and larger.

Alex Pisanty introduces Frank Fowlie (fowlie@icann.org) as the new ombudsman.  Fowlie seems like a good egg.  He is not the same thing as the late lamented Independent Review Panel (still required under ICANN's contracts with registries), because he will have no ability to effect change directly. 

Pisanty says formation of the IRP was "tactically and practically impossible."  There's a lot of history there -- in fact, insufficient effort was put into making it work.  And there was a great deal of concern that creation of the IRP, which would investigate whether there was actually documented consensus behind a particular policy to be imposed on registries or registrars under contract with ICANN, would in effect create an "super board."  

Fowlie will not even be looking at that question -- he'll be (without staff support, as far as I can tell) taking on board whatever questions show up from people concerned about ICANN actions.

Tough job.

Fowlie is now speaking, emphasizing his independence and relevant experience (which is substantial).  He'll report to the Board as a whole, not to staff, and has to produce an annual report.  He'll have a web-based complaint-taking system.  He'll try to help parties to mutual settlements.  He'll have power to make recommendations to the Board. 

"How can a single practitioner office [do this]?"  He'll rely on his experience and he'll be independent.  And he'll be busy.