Interview with Mary Wong from ICANN: Domainfest 2015

“When you get into a business, you need to know what the rules are.” 📜

On the last day of DomainFest 2015 in Macau, I spoke with Mary Wong, Senior Policy Director at ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. 🎙️

📊 In this episode, we unpacked:

• 📜 Know the rules, and keep up
• 🌍 ICANN policy is global
• 🇮🇳 ICANN and India
• 🤝 Why the community matters

🎥 Watch the full episode:

📜 Know the Rules, and Keep Up

Mary works on policy for generic top-level domains (gTLDs), the rules that apply when you register, renew or transfer a domain name. 📜

Her advice for anyone buying domains: as with any business, learn the rules first. And remember, they change. A policy made today doesn’t stay the same forever, so keep up to date with ICANN’s policies and activities. For a legal view, read Rodney D. Ryder’s interview. 🔗

🌍 ICANN Policy Is Global

Do countries like China or India have different ICANN policies? No. ICANN deals with the global internet, so its policies aren’t set city by city or country by country. 🌍

This was her first DomainFest. In her day-to-day policy work she doesn’t get much direct input from the industry, so meeting domainers was valuable. Policies can affect sectors across the industry, and she also met people she knew from ICANN meetings. For a registry’s view, read Raymond King’s interview. 🔗

🇮🇳 ICANN and India

ICANN was getting quite active in India, largely thanks to its Asia Pacific office in Singapore, which brought more outreach and engagement. 🇮🇳

She encouraged newcomers, including people from India interested in any part of the domain name system, to get involved. She found it a rewarding experience. For an Indian domain story, read Manmeet Pal Singh’s interview. 🔗

🤝 Why the Community Matters

Mary said one reason she was happy to work at ICANN was its great community. Many people have been involved since it was set up, and they have historical knowledge and expertise they’re happy to share. 🤝

She’d learned a lot over the years and made good friends, and found the community very welcoming.

📝 Key Takeaways From the Mary Wong Interview

• 📜 Learn the domain rules before you invest
• 🔄 Policies change, so stay updated
• 🌍 ICANN policies apply globally
• 🇮🇳 ICANN outreach in India was growing
• 🤝 The ICANN community welcomes newcomers

❓ FAQs About Mary Wong

Who is Mary Wong?

A Senior Policy Director at ICANN who works on policy for generic top-level domains.

Are ICANN policies different in each country?

No. ICANN deals with the global internet, so its policies apply globally.

Why should domain investors follow ICANN policy?

Because the rules for registering and transferring domains change, and investors need to stay up to date.

🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love

• Interview With Jothan Frakes co-founder of NamesCon at DomainFest 2015
• Interview with Anshul Goyal Owner of Big .Biz Domains at Domainfest 2015
• Interview with Simon Cousins Co-founder of Allegravita at Domainfest 2015
• Zak Muscovitch Canadian Intellectual Property Lawyer Talking About Domain Industry

Do you follow ICANN policy changes? Tell me in the comments. 💬

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