% > > We *should* worry about people who come to the IETF once and never come
% > > back - because they probably came to the wrong meeting, and went home
% > > unhappy.
% > >
% > > Brian
% >
% > so assuming that a lot of folks come to the IETF expecting something
% > different than it is, and going home disappointed, what can we do to
% > make future prospective attendees more aware of what they're getting into?
% >
% > Keith
%
% I remember my first trip to IETF. I thought that I could simply
% arrive and get a standard adopted. That was three years ago. Many
% RFCs later I'm still here. But it is not because involving myself in
% the IETF was easy. For a long time I felt like an outsider. Even
% after attending a year's worth of meetings. But I kept attending
% because I had something that I wanted/needed to accomplish.
%
% Jeffrey
I enjoyed a much different experience. I was asked by a couple of
WG chairs if I would be willing to take on tasks that needed to be
done, was invited to share opinions and thoughts by folks on the
IAB... as a first time attendee. Getting involved was easy. Those
responsible encouraged new blood. Recent experience seems to indicate
a "winnowing" process is now in effect, making it harder, perhaps
much harder to allow individual contribution. If I was starting today,
I'd avoid the IETF as a venue.
--bill