CONSENSUS

ICANN, like the IETF, sets forth consensus as its standard for decision-making. Yet, as our participants’ answers reveal, consensus is a term that is difficult to define in hard terms. Indeed, attempting to assign a numerical equivalent of “consensus” seems to undermine the very values that a loose, theoretically supermajoritarian standard achieves. At the same time, the inability to quantify consensus may undermine ICANN’s authority by calling into question whether it has adhered to its own procedural guidelines.

DEFINING CONSENSUS
Karl Auerbach
John Perry Barlow
Dave Crocker
Carl Kaplan
Michael Krieger
Eric Menge
Charles Nesson

Joe Sims

IS CONSENSUS THE RIGHT STANDARD? / WHY CONSENSUS?
Fred Baker
John Perry Barlow ( Part I | Part II )
Dave Crocker
Jay Fenello
Carl Kaplan
Michael Krieger
Mike Roberts

THE DIFFICULTY OF USING CONSENSUS
Dave Crocker

ALTERNATIVES TO CONSENSUS
Karl Auerbach

DEFINING ICANN'S CONSTITUENCY
Fred Baker
Jay Fenello

DOES CONSENSUS LIMIT ICANN'S AUTHORITY?
Carl Kaplan
Michael Krieger

CONSENSUS AS APPLIED (BY ICANN)
Joe Sims