I couldn't be in Argentina last week, but I've been trying to catch up on what happened there.  From this far-away perspective, it looks as if there has been some constructive progress on ICANN's strategic plan -- initially, at least, in the form of discussing processes that will both tie ICANN's budget more tightly to its narrow mission and make the plan itself the product of real consultation.  (This transcript from a public session just before the group soccer game caught my eye.)

The November 2004 version of the plan seemed to drop from the sky, fully baked and ambitious and polished and ready to go, without any consultation.  The redline [pdf] released before the Mar del Plata meeting seems to be a genuine draft.  So far, no one has commented on it in the public forum that ICANN has created, but we're still early in the process.

Cautious optimism.  If ICANN (when strenuously pushed by people who are paying attention) can reconsider its strategic plan, maybe it can reconsider its approach to consensus.