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They're the folks who effectively oversee the internet naming system, IP address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment and a few other things.

Like most similar groups, there are numerous complaints of corruption, incompetence, self-interest and idiocy leveled against them from a raft of sources.

Indeed, a Google search for the term "icann idiots" returns 35,000 results.

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Now I'm not about to level any criticisms in respect to how well ICANN carries out its role but I am left wondering why our government is about to stump up almost $100,000 to provide ICANN's members with what amounts to a free holiday and boozy lunches.

According to this story in the NZ Herald, the Kiwi taxpayer is forking out $95,500 to host some 20 separate meetings for a group of "registries, registrars, country-code managers, intellectual property lawyers, internet users and government representatives."

Since ICANN is a "not for profit organisation" you might think that such a generous offer is understandable -- yet the most recent balance sheet I could find on the ICANN site indicates that they have annual revenues in the order of US$16m per year -- so cash doesn't seem to be much of a problem to them.

The justification for this handing out of your and my hard-earned cash to a group of people who look as if they're more than capable of paying their own way is, so we're told, because "It presents a significant opportunity to promote New Zealand, our ICT industry and the Asia-Pacific region's importance to the global economy."

Hmmm... maybe it does, but maybe it doesn't.

And hang on -- we're talking about an organisation which lives, breathes and survives on administering key parts of cyberspace right?

So what's wrong with video conferencing?

Yeah, I know, despite what vendors such as Telecom may claim, it's not the same as a face-to-face discussion.

However, why hold it in NZ?

The cost of the ICANN-paid airfares to bring people way down here to Godzone must be enormous.

When I see lots of professional people attending an all-expenses paid conference which is subsidised by taxpayer money I smell something bad.

I challenge Trevor Mallard to publish a balance sheet in 12 month's time which shows exactly how much return the Kiwi taxpayer has received on this $95,500 investment. I'm skeptical that it's a wise investment.

I also challenge ICANN to justify why it is (presumably) paying for at least some of those people to travel so very far to the backside of the planet when exactly the same results could be obtained by holding these meetings closer to home for most.

Sorry, but this sounds like little more than a great excuse for some free air-travel, a heavily subsidised holiday and lots of free beer to me.

I really wouldn't mind -- but you, I and most other Kiwis are paying for it!

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