Is this a symptom of a larger problem with the global Internet space or was this something related to local conditions and exceptions? I'd suggest the latter, and hence would still recommend that we might want to look at Cairo as an important venue for sharing knowledge on Information society and development related issues. However more effort needs to go into ensuring panels are chalk full of compelling speakers and evidence of what has happened since WSIS and, more importantly, what could be done. We should also engage with organisers to ensure unconference principles are built in, because there is general fatigue with IT ministers blathering on about nothing for hours.
Is there anything I've retained about the the key issues that needed to be discussed here amongst the ITU, ICANN and govt delegations? No. I'll read a few blogs to get the gist, but coming here I would've liked to have felt I was in the thick of things.
As always with these conferences, the opportunity to network with partners, pitch new ideas, follow-up on old ones, is the most important value of coming here.
In general, I'm disappointed, but at least we had all of our good and useful events before IGF and that might be the most important lesson.
