March 2024 - UA-discuss - lists.iana.org

Happy birthday to a super hero: DOCTOR DATA!!!!
by Don Hollander Aug. 14, 2024

Aug. 14, 2024

Caution: A Very Nerdy Post (VNP – not VPN) Today celebrates the birth of a fellow who lives to his own values and has given significant time to institutions that we’ve both been involved in – me professionally and he quite voluntarily. Dr Ajay Data has marched to his own drum beat and has worked to make the Internet a more inclusive space. For those that don’t know, the Internet is very much at its core English Centric. Regional and global gatherings are conducted in English. And the underlying code and parameters are also English (or ASCII for those who want to be pedantic) based. More than a decade ago, the parameters that are more visible to the eye (domain names and email addresses) began to cater for non-English languages. Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, a dozen different scripts used in India, Māori, Russian, Thai and more. [Arabic and Hebrew are not only different scripts, they read right to left which adds additional complexity!] Ajay heard about this and thought that he saw an opportunity. He set his programming team to the development of some software that would support these scripts in the Internet. He started with email and went on to other email adjacent utilities. There were a few others who were also pursuing this prize – one in China, another in Taiwan, another in Thailand. But none made it as far as Ajay’s team. He had a commercial product that he was able to adjust for every language and script and it was accessible at a relatively reasonable price. But it wasn’t flying off the shelf, so to speak. There was a group called the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) that was working to encourage all developers to make adjustments to their own software to support all domains and all email addresses. But it was for many years only Ajay’s XgenPlus that was readily available. So, he decided to join and participate with this UASG group. He was quite active, he supported his staff being active, and he went on to become The Chair – a position he held for four years. Progress in getting other applications to support all these new scripts has been surprisingly (to me anyway) slow – even Glacially (pre climate change) slow. Ajay has retired from the UASG – he was term limited – and moved on to other things. But we see him popping up at a lot of events in India that will encourage young people to get involved, to become entrepreneurial. Ajay and I had different strategies for achieving the UASG objectives. I thought we should just raise awareness of the issues to CIOs or their counterparts around the world and problem would be solved lickity-split. Though raising awareness was hard enough, when we did reach people they told us there was no real world demand and they had plenty of other tasks to work on. Ajay’s strategy was to generate demand by going to large countries where English is not so endemic and get their governments to include UA capabilities in their own purchasing criteria. While this worked at a state level in India, not wider – because there were too few suppliers who could meet the requirements. And these governments had plenty of other things to pursue. For the people who care about the plumbing of the Internet, this is another quixotic objective. They have been working on IPv6 and DNSSEC for even longer – and still with limited success other than places where there is one or two very influential people who have effectively mandated success – Sweden, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands come to mind. But this is a note to recognise Dr Ajay Data (great name for an IT guy) and his birthday and to thank him for his efforts, his achievements, and his friendship. Sent from my iPad

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ACTION REQUIRED by May 15, 2024 For Continuation of Your UASG Membership
by Seda Akbulut April 26, 2024

April 26, 2024

Dear UASG members, We hope this email finds you well. As part of ICANN’s ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and accountability within the multistakeholder ecosystem, we are reaching out to verify your continued interest in receiving information from the UASG. To retain access to UASG mailing lists, you must submit your Statement of Interest (SOI) by 15 May, 2024. This practice is consistent with other groups of the ICANN community (e.g., see SOIs for GNSO<https://community.icann.org/display/gnsosoi/New+SOIs>, or click “New SOIs” on the left menu here<https://community.icann.org/display/gnsosoi>.) The SOI form is available at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/725e244f1369423182ea1bf932df6962. If you are unable to complete your SOI by 15 May 2024 deadline, you will be unsubscribed from all UASG email lists. However, you can resubscribe at a later time by submitting your SOI. ICANN will publicly publish the received SOIs at https://uasg.tech/member-area/. We sincerely appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter. Your participation is instrumental in building a more transparent and robust community. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at info(a)uasg.tech<mailto:info@uasg.tech>. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to your valuable contributions. Best regards, UASG Leadership Team

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Re: [UA-discuss] Invitation to Global UA Day keynote event (28 March 2024)
by Maria Kolesnikova April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024

Dear UASG members, Kindly remind you to join the Universal Acceptance Day 2024 keystone event in Belgrade, Serbia. It will be held on 28th March, tomorrow. The event is organized in hybrid format. If you are planning to participate remotely, please register prior to the event: https://uaday.rs/?lang=en For remote participants the link for streaming in English will be available on 28th of March: https://youtube.com/live/AnkqOvgte5Y?feature=share Best regards, Maria Kolesnikova Chair, CIS-EE Universal Acceptance Local Initiative From: UA-discuss <ua-discuss-bounces(a)icann.org> On Behalf Of Maria Kolesnikova via UA-discuss Sent: Monday, March 4, 2024 2:09 PM To: ua-discuss(a)icann.org Subject: [UA-discuss] Invitation to Global UA Day keynote event (28 March 2024) Dear UASG members, On behalf of the CIS-EE Universal Acceptance Local Initiative, I would like to invite you to join the Universal Acceptance (UA) Day 2024 keystone event in Serbia. The Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS), a member of CIS-EE Universal Acceptance Local Initiative has the honor to be the host of the second UA Day keystone event. The event is organized by ICANN in partnership with RNIDS and UASG and will take place on 28th March in Crown Plaza hotel in Belgrade. The UA Day 2024 keystone event will gather representatives of international and local organizations, engineers, university professors, internet experts as well as software developers from all parts of the world to debate on the various UA-related topics. During the four panels, along with a technical workshop that will be organized, successful stories of UA implementation and UA ready solutions will be delivered, however challenges of implementing UA will also be discussed. Experiences and insights will be shared by experts from various countries, UA Ambassadors and UA Local Initiatives. These sessions will help interested stakeholders to better understand the benefits of UA and how they can make their systems UA-ready. A full schedule of the event is now published on: https://uaday.rs/?lang=en Registration is open! Attendees can join the event onsite or participate online via link that will be delivered to the registered participants. Looking forward to meet you on the event! With kind regards, Maria Kolesnikova Chair, CIS-EE Universal Acceptance Local Initiative

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Happy Global Universal Acceptance Day!
by Nitin Walia March 30, 2024

March 30, 2024

Dear All Happy Global Universal Acceptance Day to all our UASG community members! 🎉🌍 It`s indeed a wonderful occasion to celebrate our commitment to making the Internet more accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of language or cultural background. Let`s continue working together towards a more interconnected and diverse online world. Let`s keep spreading the message of universal acceptance and inclusion across the digital landscape. Together, we can make a significant difference in ensuring that the Internet remains a truly global and welcoming space for all. Thank you for your dedication and support to this important cause! Warm Regards Nitin Walia nitin(a)xgenplus.com | नितिन(a)xn--v1bmv2ck2cxbe5k8bf.xn--h2brj9c | https://xgenplus.com VC: https://bridge01.videomeet.in - room: nitin pwd: 10000 भाषाकीआजादी - Bridging the Digital Divide, Getting Next billion online Do not Remove: [HID]20240328143254958[-HID]

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Happy UA Day for the whole Internet community
by NABIL BENAMAR March 30, 2024

March 30, 2024

Dear UASG members, It's my pleasure to share with you the recording of the UA Day keystone event that was held in Belgrade this year. I was honored to participate in the panel of the Plenary Session 3: Implementation of Universal Acceptability - Demonstration of Solutions and to moderate the Plenary session 4.1: Integration of UA into the curricula of technical faculties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnkqOvgte5Y Congratulations to the The Serbian National Internet Domain Registry Foundation (RNIDS) for hosting such a successful event and thank you for your generous hospitality! Wishing all success for those who are preparing their UA day events in the upcoming weeks. Nabil Benamar UASG-vice-chair -- Best Regards ==================================================== Nabil Benamar, PhD., *IEEE Senior Member* Full Professor, Department of Computer Sciences School of Technology, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, Morocco IMAGE lab, *Director* Associate Editor IEEE Access <https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=6287639>, Elsevier JKSUCI <https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-king-saud-university-compu…> ====================================================

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The Keystone UA Day 2024 Event in Belgrade Serbia
by Seda Akbulut March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024

Dear all, We are excited to celebrate the Global UA Day event today with all of you. The keystone UA Day Event has just started in Belgrade, Serbia. Please join us to celebrate the UA Achievements and listen to the UA Implementation discussions with all the stakeholders around the world. Live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnkqOvgte5Y You can see the full agenda here: https://uaday.rs/?lang=en Best regards, Seda Akbulut

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UA Day 2024
by anil Jain March 28, 2024

March 28, 2024

Dear UA friends, Today is Global UA Day. On this occasion I would like to congratulate you all on this special day for Internet fraternity . We are all committed to a multilingual and inclusive Internet . Let us rededicate ourselves to this human and technological cause once again. Happy Global UA Day! Anil Kumar Jain Chair, UASG Sent from my iPhone

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Link for main UA Day celebration
by Amina Ramallan March 27, 2024

March 27, 2024

Good morning all, Can anyone please confirm receiving the virtual link to the UA Day event happening tomorrow in Belgrade upon registration. I registered but I'm yet to receive a link. Regards, Amina Ramallan

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UA day Trainings
by Abdulkarim Oloyede March 22, 2024

March 22, 2024

Hi Seda/ UA Leadership, I'm genuinely surprised that ICANN has decided to conduct UA Day training virtually for trainers. This decision overlooks a significant portion of the community, particularly in developing countries where these trainings are essential. Many lack reliable internet connectivity and the necessary equipment for effective virtual participation. What's more surprising is that this year's training focuses on technical aspects, which typically require hands-on interaction. Having taught at a university for over 12 years, I understand the importance of practical classes where instructors move between computers and observe participants' progress. These trainings cater to individuals at various skill levels, from beginners to advanced programmers, making meaningful engagement virtually impossible amidst unreliable internet connections, limited two-way communication, and inadequate equipment. Consider UA Day events planning to utilize large halls. How would this work effectively in a virtual setting? It's unfortunate that in attempting to promote inclusivity, we're inadvertently excluding a significant portion of our target audience and creating the very opposite of what UA is all about. Just last week, several African countries experienced internet outages, which are still being resolved. Consequently, many individuals won't have the connectivity required to participate. This approach seems to transform UA Day into a mere spectacle, accessible only to those in developed countries. I am very sure this model would be a challenge to most UA day events planned for this year, especially in developing countries. Thank you, Dr. Abdulkarim Oloyede -- Website <http://www.unilorin.edu.ng>, Weekly Bulletin <http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/index.php/bulletin> UGPortal <http://uilugportal.unilorin.edu.ng/> PGPortal <https://uilpgportal.unilorin.edu.ng/> HelpDesk <http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/index.php/more-resources/e-notices/6845-how-to-r…>

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Call for Proposals for "Rating Email Software Using EAI Self-Certification Guide"
by Seda Akbulut March 21, 2024

March 21, 2024

Dear UASG members, UASG Measurement Working Group has drafted a new Statement of Work (SOW) and is now accepting proposals. Work Item: Rating email software using EAI Self-Certification Guide (phase 1) The SOW document has been posted on UASG wiki page to call for proposals: https://community.icann.org/display/TUA/UA+Statements+of+Work We are looking for interested and competent parties to take up this work. If you are interested in this work, feel free to contact us at UAProgram(a)icann.org<mailto:UAProgram@icann.org> by 14 April 2024. Further details are provided in the SOW and at the wiki page. (also attached here for your convenience) Kindly help circulate the call for proposals to relevant parties. With thanks and regards, Seda Akbulut Universal Acceptance (UA) Program Manager Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

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