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| In October 2012, DCA published a press release saying that their Wikipedia sites willfully sabotaged. Entries on DCA, .africa, and Sophia Bekele, the Executive Director of DotAfrica, were changed. According to DCA, some information that had been unmodified for over five years were removed from Wikipedia and replaced by new versions where DCA's involvement with .africa, DCA's working history, and Bekele's credentials were downplayed.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/2012/10/sabotage-of-our-wikipedia-sites/ Sabotage of Our Wikipedia Sites]. Published 2012 October 1. Retrieved 2012 November 13.</ref> | | In October 2012, DCA published a press release saying that their Wikipedia sites willfully sabotaged. Entries on DCA, .africa, and Sophia Bekele, the Executive Director of DotAfrica, were changed. According to DCA, some information that had been unmodified for over five years were removed from Wikipedia and replaced by new versions where DCA's involvement with .africa, DCA's working history, and Bekele's credentials were downplayed.<ref>[http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/2012/10/sabotage-of-our-wikipedia-sites/ Sabotage of Our Wikipedia Sites]. Published 2012 October 1. Retrieved 2012 November 13.</ref> |
| ==No Campaign (DotAfrica) ‘NoCampaign.africa’== | | ==No Campaign (DotAfrica) ‘NoCampaign.africa’== |
− | No Campaign DotAfrica was a concentrated e-mail based protest effort that was undertaken by the Yes2DotAfrica campaign, an initiative of the DotConnectAfrica Organization (DCA) ostensibly to counter the perceived threat posed to DCA’s standing and prospective application to ICANN for the new DotAfrica generic Top Level Domain (gTLD). The No Campaign featured high drama and ran from 2010 and peaked in the fall of 2011, when DCA circulated many No Campaigns to its readers. <ref>[ http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1105649721626.html Say "No" to African Union "EOI"]</ref> <ref>[ http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Leopard-Cannot-Change-its-Spots--Say--No--to-the-ARC--African-Registry-Consortium.html?soid=1102516344150&aid=BYYeJN0_fLU Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/african-registry-consortium/ Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Vote No to AFTLD]</ref><ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/african-registry-consortium/ Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref>. <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-nii-quaynor/ Vote No to Nii Quaynor]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-for-dandjinou/ Vote No to Pierre Danjinou]</ref>. | + | No Campaign DotAfrica was a concentrated e-mail based protest effort that was undertaken by the Yes2DotAfrica campaign, an initiative of the DotConnectAfrica Organization (DCA) ostensibly to counter the perceived threat posed to DCA’s standing and prospective application to ICANN for the new DotAfrica generic Top Level Domain (gTLD). The No Campaign featured high drama and ran from 2010 and peaked in the fall of 2011, when DCA circulated many No Campaigns to its readers. <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-for-dandjinou/ Vote No to Pierre Danjinou]</ref><ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-nii-quaynor/ Vote No to Nii Quaynor]</ref> > <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Vote No to AFTLD]</ref><ref>[ http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1105649721626.html Say "No" to African Union "EOI"]</ref><ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/african-registry-consortium/ Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref><ref>[ http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Leopard-Cannot-Change-its-Spots--Say--No--to-the-ARC--African-Registry-Consortium.html?soid=1102516344150&aid=BYYeJN0_fLU Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref><ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1108683982073.html Vote No to Africa Union RFP]</ref> |
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− | Most observers praised <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/say-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Comments to No Campaigns]</ref>. DCA for its commitment to transparency which was evident in the content of the No Campaigns. Other analysts severely criticized DCA for running a negative campaign and for naming names <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/say-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Comments to No Campaigns]</ref>. in its email circulations. Because of such criticisms, DCA was forced on several occasions to defend itself and explain why it had to embark on the No Campaign<ref>[ http://myemail.constantcontact.com/You-asked--We-clarified---Why-our--NO--Campaigns-.html?soid=1102516344150&aid=RFZ6s8G6VSM You asked we clarified]</ref> | + | Most observers praised <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/say-no/vote-no-to-aftld/target="_new" Comments to No Campaigns]</ref>. DCA for its commitment to transparency which was evident in the content of the No Campaigns. Other analysts severely criticized DCA for running a negative campaign and for naming names <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/say-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Comments to No Campaigns]</ref>. in its email circulations. Because of such criticisms, DCA was forced on several occasions to defend itself and explain why it had to embark on the No Campaign<ref>[ http://myemail.constantcontact.com/You-asked--We-clarified---Why-our--NO--Campaigns-.html?soid=1102516344150&aid=RFZ6s8G6VSM You asked we clarified]</ref> |
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| <big><i>NO Campaign against the AU Task Force:</i></big> | | <big><i>NO Campaign against the AU Task Force:</i></big> |
− | Since some of the key people involved in the competing proposals for DotAfrica had also organized themselves into a Taskforce <ref> [http://www.scribd.com/doc/41348134/Document-1B-BCEC Document 1B: BCEC- List of Contributors to the Dotafrica.org proposal.]</ref> to advise and guide the AU on matters regarding the DotAfrica gTLD, DCA also undertook concerted ‘No Campaigns’ against the individuals in the Task Force and the Task Force itself. <ref>[ http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1105649721626.html Say "No" to African Union "EOI"]</ref> <ref>[ http://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-Leopard-Cannot-Change-its-Spots--Say--No--to-the-ARC--African-Registry-Consortium.html?soid=1102516344150&aid=BYYeJN0_fLU Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/african-registry-consortium/ Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Vote No to AFTLD]</ref><ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/african-registry-consortium/ Say "No" to African Registry Consortium (ARC)]</ref>. <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-nii-quaynor/ Vote No to Nii Quaynor]</ref> <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-for-dandjinou/ Vote No to Pierre Danjinou]</ref>. | + | Since some of the key people involved in the competing proposals for DotAfrica had also organized themselves into a Taskforce <ref> [http://www.scribd.com/doc/41348134/Document-1B-BCEC Document 1B: BCEC- List of Contributors to the Dotafrica.org proposal.]</ref> to advise and guide the AU on matters regarding the DotAfrica gTLD. DCA also undertook concerted ‘No Campaigns’ against the individuals in the Task Force and the Task Force itself.<ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-for-dandjinou/ Vote No to Pierre Danjinou]</ref><ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-nii-quaynor/ Vote No to Nii Quaynor]</ref> > <ref>[ http://www.dotconnectafrica.org/yes-campaign/vote-no/vote-no-to-aftld/ Vote No to AFTLD]</ref> |
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| The AU DotAfrica Task Force drew its membership from different organizations representing the African Internet community. <ref>[ http://www.scribd.com/doc/42164360/Document-BCEC-1B-dotafrica-communique DotAfrica Task Force.]</ref>. Since DCA was not included in the AU Task Force, it saw it as not only unrepresentative, but saw its members as a ‘Cabal’ whose only interest was to hijack DotAfrica for its benefit. <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1107431408048.html Say "No" to the CABAL (special-interest coalitions) that is trying to hijack DotAfrica!]</ref>. DCA further argued that since the Task Force members could not be relied upon to provide impartial advice to the AU, they were guilty of Conflict of Interest since they were affiliated to many other organizations in addition to affiliations to African ccTLDs, Competition for .africa heats up <ref> [ http://domainincite.com/3796-competition-for-africa-heats-up Competition for .africa heats up.]</ref>; DCA to Challenge AFTLD on DotAfrica Domain<ref>[ http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/35281 DCA to challenge AfTLD on dotAfrica domain.]</ref>; DotAfrica Project Alleges Sabotage From AU; including having floated separate DotAfrica proposals of their own<ref> [http://www.scribd.com/doc/41348134/Document-1B-BCEC Document 1B: BCEC- List of Contributors to the Dotafrica.org proposal.]</ref> As such, DCA believed that the Task Force or Cabal was not independent and could not be considered legitimate. | | The AU DotAfrica Task Force drew its membership from different organizations representing the African Internet community. <ref>[ http://www.scribd.com/doc/42164360/Document-BCEC-1B-dotafrica-communique DotAfrica Task Force.]</ref>. Since DCA was not included in the AU Task Force, it saw it as not only unrepresentative, but saw its members as a ‘Cabal’ whose only interest was to hijack DotAfrica for its benefit. <ref>[http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs053/1102516344150/archive/1107431408048.html Say "No" to the CABAL (special-interest coalitions) that is trying to hijack DotAfrica!]</ref>. DCA further argued that since the Task Force members could not be relied upon to provide impartial advice to the AU, they were guilty of Conflict of Interest since they were affiliated to many other organizations in addition to affiliations to African ccTLDs, Competition for .africa heats up <ref> [ http://domainincite.com/3796-competition-for-africa-heats-up Competition for .africa heats up.]</ref>; DCA to Challenge AFTLD on DotAfrica Domain<ref>[ http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/35281 DCA to challenge AfTLD on dotAfrica domain.]</ref>; DotAfrica Project Alleges Sabotage From AU; including having floated separate DotAfrica proposals of their own<ref> [http://www.scribd.com/doc/41348134/Document-1B-BCEC Document 1B: BCEC- List of Contributors to the Dotafrica.org proposal.]</ref> As such, DCA believed that the Task Force or Cabal was not independent and could not be considered legitimate. |