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Outrage! ICANN complains about crappy hotel

Kevin Murphy, November 29, 2011, 15:11:41 (UTC), Gossip

Sometimes ICANN’s love of procedure defies parody.
It’s no secret that the $124-a-night Hotel des Almadies used at its recent meeting in Dakar, Senegal, was not really up to the Club Med* standards that ICANN wonks are accustomed to.
The At-Large Advisory Committee even conducted a survey of its members after the meeting and found that a whopping 68% of them had complained to hotel management for one reason or another.
ICANN’s response?
It’s sent a letter to Senegal’s telecommunications minister, complete with a 20-page illustrated ALAC report going into excruciating detail not only about the shoddy facilities but also the policy background of the complaint.
Along with reports of rats, patchy Wi-Fi, “musty smells” and inadequate security, there are references to Resolution 2010.08.05.12, the ALAC/At-Large Improvements Implementation Project Plan, and Section 3.2.2.5 of the Travel Policy of the ALAC Review Final Report.
According to the letter, from marketing chief Barbara Clay, ICANN had received assurances that the hotel rooms would be renovated before the Dakar meeting kicked off.
Clay wrote that the hotel’s failure to follow up on its promises “damaged ICANN’s reputation as well as the reputation of the Hotel and Senegal” and she asks for compensation.
I’m guessing Rod Beckstrom’s not going to be on President Wade’s Christmas card list after all.
(*As anyone who has attended more than one ICANN meeting knows, they’re nothing but a week-long orgy of beach limbo parties, $20 cocktails and sordid sexual encounters with exotic prostitutes, all paid for by the humble internet-using public.)

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Comments (7)

  1. George Kirikos says:
    November 29, 2011 at 6:00 pm

    Just a reminder, that most of the folks complaining probably gotfree travel and accomodations, i.e. paid for by domain name registrants.
    It’s amazing that they made such detailed analysis of the hotel, yet when it comes to public comment periods on matters of domain policy, most of the folks “complaining” are utterly silent.

    Reply
  2. Adam says:
    November 30, 2011 at 3:16 am

    “As anyone who has attended more than one ICANN meeting knows, they’re nothing but a week-long orgy of beach limbo parties, $20 cocktails and sordid sexual encounters with exotic prostitutes, all paid for by the humble internet-using public.”
    Kevin, sounds like you need to hire a photographer to tag along with you. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kevin Murphy says:
      November 30, 2011 at 9:57 am

      The reality, unfortunately, is that you’re lucky to see daylight during an ICANN meeting.
      Sometimes, if you’re lucky you may catch a fleeting glimpse of the ocean on the way between the hotel and airport…

      Reply
  3. George Kirikos says:
    November 30, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    ICANN removed the letter from their website. An attempt to revise history? LOL

    Reply
  4. Michael Palage says:
    December 1, 2011 at 11:41 am

    Have you received permission from ICANN. You need to be careful, ICANN might filed a DMCA takedown notice on you, or worse yet seek extradition to the US for copyright infringement. Although I must admit that I saved a education fair use copy of the correspondence as an example of how an international organization should NOT go about building good will in developing countries.
    Hopefully ICANN will give Anne-Rachel Inné an extra bonus. With friends like this on ICANN staff she clearly does not need any enemies.

    Reply
    • Kevin Murphy says:
      December 1, 2011 at 11:43 am

      There’s been so many black helicopters in my neighborhood recently I’ve taken to painting a giant white H in my back yard.

      Reply

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