Jefsey,
I'm going to respond to this in the hope of clarifying, but it
will be my last response as some of what you have written below
persuades me that you aren't trying to listen to what others are
saying.
--On Monday, 27 December, 2004 06:51 +0100 "JFC (Jefsey) Morfin"
<jefsey(_at_)jefsey(_dot_)com> wrote:
At 05:36 27/12/2004, John C Klensin wrote:
--On Monday, 27 December, 2004 03:00 +0100 "JFC (Jefsey)
Morfin" <jefsey(_at_)jefsey(_dot_)com> wrote:
At last ... This is why the ISOC scheme cannot work. One
cannot serve two masters. This rises the question of who has
the lead over the Internet R&D (a part from the users).
No, Jefsey, as is often the case, I can't fathom how your
conclusions relate to what has been said.
As usual you see the things with your internal IAB/IETF
culture.
When you rise a problem you very often presuppose that this
culture is right. So you have real difficulty to understand
that as
an IAB/IETF customer I first consider if the problem does not
root in that very culture, what is IMHO often the case.
Well, I'm not as rooted in that culture as you assume I am.
But, be that as it may, this is an IETF list and an IETF
discussion. The only reasonable goal of participating in that
discussion is to see if we, collectively, can make the IETF work
effectively (or, if one prefers, keep it working effectively).
I get quite pessimistic about that sometimes, but I obviously
have not given up yet. If an when I do give up, and conclude
that some other structure would be more useful and effective, I
won't pursue it by trying to tune IETF procedures and structures
on an IETF list: the people and organizations who would be most
likely to want to work on such a replacement are, I believe,
pretty much gone already.
I'd encourage you to think about that. If you have concluded,
as some of your notes lead me to believe that you have, that the
IETF has outlived its usefulness and that the best strategy is
to let it self-destruct and rot, then the best thing for you to
do is to start doing serious work on whatever replacement you
think appropriate, your ITU-I ideas or otherwise. Create your
own mailing list, make an announcement as to where people with
similar assumptions and inclinations can follow you to discuss
and advance those ideas, and so on. All you accomplish here is
to add noise in an environment in which almost everyone else is
trying, in good faith, to tune a strategy and make it work.
Since I know you are quite concerned by multilingualism may
be will you understand this with the example of the RFC 3869.
It is a pure IAB product calling for Govs funding, yet not even
quoting multlingualism while is is the key Govs priority.
I didn't write it. I didn't participate in evaluating it. The
IAB is entitled to its opinions and perspectives. It is not
clear to me that governmental research funding on that topic
would add any real value, although it might contribute to Many
Fine Lunches and Dinners so, had I been part of the IAB process
that produced that document, I might have actually argued for
leaving internationalization issues out (or not, I haven't
thought much about it). And, while "multilingualism" may be
the key priority of some governments, it is clearly not a
priority of others. And, more important, few governments
actually agree on what the topic is about; many are far more
concerned with localization for their languages and character
sets, with anyone else's being of lower priority.
First, the comment
has nothing to do with "the ISOC scheme", it is strictly a
matter of IETF-IASA leadership relationships and would exist
no matter what relationship the IASA has to ISOC.
Again, you only consider your own concerns - and I wander
what you may think I refer to??? When I say "ISOC scheme"
I do not discuss the way you want the IETF to relate with ISOC,
but the very choice of using ISOC to host the IASA.
But that is exactly what I was talking about, whether it is "my
own concerns" or not. So, to say it again, nothing in my
earlier note, nor nothing in Margaret's, has anything to do with
the IASA-ISOC relationship. The questions of the structure of
the IAOC, and whether the IAOC has a permanent Chair, and what
authority that Chair has, all would exist where the IASA was
hosted within ISOC or not. And, as others have pointed out,
the "hosting within ISOC" question is, for better or worse,
settled. You are violating the norms of this community by
continuing to introduce it, especially in the absence of any new
facts or information. If you want to keep complaining or
suggesting alternatives, please take it somewhere else.
As long as IETF is not incorporated with its own BoD the
administrative tasks will relate with two bosses and will be
hosted by a third one. I succeeded for years to be exactly
in that situation: believe me this gives a total autonomy. I
only feared first for my salary rises but I soon discovered
that this too was an auction :-)
The community has reached a different conclusion. See above.
Second, this
has very little, if anything, to do with "Internet R&D"
leadership, at least as I understand those terms: insofar as
anyone in the IETF-linked structures have any leadership role
there, it is clearly the IAB and not either the standards
functions of the IETF or any administrative body.
Never considered that this might be a problem?
Sure I've considered it might be a problem. It is no secret
that I've never been completely happy with the reorganization of
a decade ago, largely because of the number of loose ends it
left dangling. But we appear to be muddling through on that
front. The IETF has evolved into an engineering and standards
organization, not a research and development one and that is
probably, IMO, A Good Thing. And deciding that we have to solve
every possible real or imagined problem in order to move forward
with the administrative restructuring is the path to either
paralysis or madness. Since I still hope for a functional IETF,
I'm not inclined toward either of those paths.
And, again,
this is independent of any links to ISOC or the absence of
them. And...
1. may be it is the time to remember the IRTF and its Chair:
this would transform a praxis into a triumvirate.
Except that there is no ambiguity of relationships with the
IRTF leadership, and it was that ambiguity which Margaret and
I were addressing. The IRTF Chair is appointed by the IAB and
essentially serves at the IAB's pleasure.
This is exactly what, as an IETF/IAB/IRTF customer
I think "urgent" to reconsider for a long ....
First, while you keep categorizing yourself as a "customer", it
is not clear to me that is true. Second, as a customer, if you
are not happy with the structure or performance of your
supplier, maybe it is time you go elsewhere and find a supplier
you find more satisfactory. The IETF has other customers who
seem less unhappy with the product and who aren't urging the
types of changes you are. And many of them are far more
clearly "customers", in the sense that they are implementing
IETF standards and selling (or otherwise distributing) products
based on them. I haven't seen you doing that lately.
2. rather then creating a dominance, why not to organize a
conflict arbitration, for example by your ICANN BoD
position. If there is a conflict, you are the first
embarrassed.
First, because ICANN has absolutely nothing to do with this
and the only value of dragging them into it would be to add
considerable confusion about roles and relationships.
You see the things again from your IAB/IETF point of view.
ICANN has nothing to do with this. What has to do is that this
position is the only IAB/IETF "liaison" with the external
world.
Well, it is not the only one. Please see the IAB web page and
elsewhere.
There is not even an IAB/IETF member at the WGIG.
Whether or not that statement is true (I don't know what an
"IETF member" is), why should there be? To the best of my
knowledge, they didn't offer such a position and we didn't ask
for one. The IETF doesn't do "Internet Governance" (whatever
that is). I note that there is no formal ISO, or ETSI, or W3C,
presence at the WGIG either.
To put
it mildly, I don't favor such confusion. You may, of course,
disagree. Second, my "ICANN BoD position" is a liaison one
only.
Yes. And if there is an internal conflict there will be a long
internal delay with an e-mailing logorhea as only consequence.
You will be the only one to have to document it outside and
this way may be to see it in a different perspective, with
probably other kinds of advices.
But I would not have to "document it outside", whatever that
means. Nor would I expect the IETF to take any advice on this
subject that comes from the ICANN direction.
The "liaison" being someone
usually chosen for his experience, common sense and IAB/IETF
good knowledge and trust, it could be the best internal and
external facilitator we could have in case of difficulties.
The experience of your current tenure shows it.
If that is a complement, then thanks. But part of my role is to
help preserve precisely the boundaries -- e.g., ICANN doesn't
meddle in IETF's standards or administrative structures; IETF
stays out of the "governance" business -- that you are either
assuming don't exist or that I should be tearing down. Sorry,
but that doesn't appear to be what the IAB wants. And, if they
start wanting it, they would need to find someone else to do it
because I think it would be a mistake for all concerned.
I'm appointed by the IAB, serve at their pleasure, and
feel obligated to follow any instructions I get from them
when I am acting in that capacity. So injecting me, or future
occupants of that role, into this situation would essentially
just give the IAB the controlling vote.
Here, I do not understand. You say IAB as the leadership,
anyway.
Only in the context of my relationship with ICANN.
The concern you rise and I share is not that at the end of the
day non one decides, but that it takes time and hurts.
In what I suggest there is no vote but arbitration and
reasonable advices. In a less conflicting situation due to the
restored weight of IRTF.
You are trying to "restore" a situation that never existed. The
IRTF has been organizationally subsidiary to the IAB throughout
the entire history of its existence. As I trust you have
observed, we rarely make decisions around here by taking votes,
but try to reach consensus somehow. If things get to voting,
the consensus process (whether it includes formal arbitration
and advice or not) has already failed. In that context, what
you are asking for is, essentially "more trying to seek
consensus". I think that is great, but the outcome isn't swift
decision-making. If you need swift decision-making, you most
efficiently want a dictator, whether you call that individual an
arbitrator or not. I don't want that job and I would be afraid
of anyone who did.
It would not provide a
basis for impartial arbitration, but would, in your language,
just be a different way to "create a dominance".
You will not change that someone has eventually to take a
decision. We only want to avoid conflicts. There only a need
for decision facilitation. Simplest is an IETF BoD, smoother
an experienced and open minded selected facilitator.
See above comments about decisions that have already been made.
BTW I do not understand why you rise the question if you think
the IAB Chair has the con.
Please try to read what I wrote before telling me what I think.
I have said:
* The IRTF is subsidiary to the IAB, and the IAB
selected the IRTF leadership.
* It is not clear whether the IAB Chair and IETF Chair
are peers or if one has, somehow, more authority than
the other, independent of the topic (each has some
responsibilities and authority the other does not).
* It would be my preference that the IAOC Chair be
defined in a way that would avoid laying the foundation for any
new power ambiguities and struggles
None of those implies in any way that the "IAB Chair has the
con".
best,
john
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