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RE: I-D ACTION:draft-etal-ietf-analysis-00.txt

2002-04-14 11:11:57
Dave Crocker wrote:
and, by the way, there is plenty of experience suggesting that
time pressure often improves quality.  it focuses the group
and emphasizes near-term utility.  within discussions about
project management, it is usually recognized that milestones
are not merely for measuring progress but also for motivating
it.

I agree. In the case of the IETF, the worst part is that the milestones and/or 
deadlines are self-chosen. I have complained myself about some marketing bozo 
fixing arbitrary or unrealistic deadlines just because the product has to ship 
that day. This is not the way the IETF works. First, we can choose our own 
deadlines and second we can move them if we under-evaluated the time it would 
take. What is wrong is the generalized feeling that missing a deadline by two 
years (for a 6-month project) is ok. And the same is true for WG charters. Why 
do we have charters and milestones if nobody tries to meet them? Is it the way 
IETFers work at their day-time job?

And please, don't give me the crap "we do it for free". I do it for free, too. 
Quality has a little to do with money and a lot with engineers being 
interested, motivated, intellectually challenged, that kind of thing.

Michel.