Re: What is the IETF? -- A note of caution

John:

Thanks for your wise comments; I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I find 
myself agreeing with most of the people in this thread, who seem to think 
they are disagreeing with each other. As the person who apparently caused 
this dust-up, I feel I should add a note. The remainder of this note is 
addressed to my friends, those who work in the IETF. It is my opinion. Send 
flames privately.
I mention the corporate relationships of the Area Directors for a very 
simple reason. I think the companies that contribute the time of their 
employees to this activity are worthy of note. Speaking for myself, my 
employer has given me carte blanche, with only one proviso: when I travel 
somewhere on IETF business (which I don't even have to clear with my 
supervisor), they would like me to advise the local sales office and be 
available to visit a customer or two. Beyond that, for five years they have 
essentially underwritten my travel, equipped my office, and given my time 
and services to the IETF, cold stop. They even put together a special 
policy for my discussions with the media: Cisco employees, by company 
policy, do not speak with reporters except in the presence of a PR person, 
but I am required only to *copy* a PR person on comments I make to the 
media. Couple that with the opportunity costs - there is a lot of good work 
I could have been doing for my employer that I didn't do because I worked 
on the IETF instead, and I have some friends who have gotten angry with me 
for not doing one thing or another for them - and you can see that in my 
person Cisco is donating several hundred thousand dollars a year to the 
Internet. That is proportionally true of every Area Director and every IAB 
member, and of their companies. I think it is worthy of note.
I'll mention one person in this context who takes my breath away. Leslie 
Daigle is a private consultant. When she has asked, which is not often, I 
have underwritten her travel from a budget that the ISOC makes available to 
the IETF Chair. But for the most part, the time she spends on IAB and ICANN 
activities is her gift to the Internet community, one she makes with 
scarcely a comment and certainly without regret. I think that is worthy of 
note.
And let's not forget that while we come as individuals and contribute as 
individuals, our employers pay for that. I have worked for employers that 
required me to do IETF activities after hours, and considered attendance at 
meetings as boondoggles to be closely managed, and I have worked for more 
sensible employers, but in each case, my employer has underwritten the 
cost. That is not something to lightly brush aside.
I want you to think for a moment about other corporate benefits that apply. 
Yesterday morning, Jun Murai, Steve Coya, myself, and a fair set of 
supporting characters met to discuss planning for the IETF in Yokohama two 
years hence. In Japan, the cost of coffee (200-400 yen a cup) and snacks 
such as we routinely put in the hall is exorbitant. The WIDE Project is 
putting together a list of corporate sponsors to cover it - and companies 
are tripping over each other for their chance at the opportunity. I am 
frequently asked for time for companies to market themselves to this 
audience in one way or another, and I think you can guess what response 
they receive. But in Japan, there will be a sign on the table that says 
"goodies sponsored by the so-and-so corporation." I hope you won't whine 
about it. If you want to, I'll recommend that the Secretariat put vending 
machines in the hallways.
So, yes, perhaps I used the word "represent" inadvisably, and if so I crave 
your forgiveness. I certainly agree that we are here to make the Internet 
run well, not to advance corporate agendas, (although I have to tell you 
that corporations often have some notion of what it means for the Internet 
to run well). But to never mention the corporate involvement is, I think, 
equally unfortunate, and unfair.