Steve, Per American Heritage Dictionary: mal·fea·sance "Misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official." That's not the same as "dishonesty". In any event, the problem is not that the semantics of the word are wrong in this case, but that using the word just serves to inflame. I was particularly heartened that yesterday's meeting was conducted in a thoroughly professional tone, with folks offering clear and practical expressions of their views. Consequently: SMB> I see three issues: is this technically wise, did Verisign have the right SMB> to do this under their current contract with ICANN, and should they have SMB> such a right. Is exactly the right way to approach this topic. (I think Howard's foray into categorizing issues is also extremely constructive.) d/ -- Dave Crocker <dcrocker-at-brandenburg-dot-com> Brandenburg InternetWorking <www.brandenburg.com> Sunnyvale, CA USA <tel:+1.408.246.8253>