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Re: ietf mailing list Acceptable Use Policy

2005-07-20 16:15:12


--On onsdag, juli 20, 2005 14:49:27 -0700 Dave Crocker <dhc2(_at_)dcrocker(_dot_)net> wrote:

Folks,

I am burdening the IETF list with this note because I looked around on
the IETF  web pages and couldn't find the document or statement that
would resolve the  point.

The question of acceptable behaviors on ietf mailing lists has been
discussed at  length, of course.  But I cannot find a statement that
should be used by ietf  list that is, for example, on a par with the Note
Well statement about IPR.

I believe that we DO have pretty consistent rules, but I can't find a
pointer to  text that makes the usual statements about technical focus,
professionalism,  absence of ad hominem language, etc.

It would be great to have an IETF-wide, core consensus-based statement on
Acceptable Use that new lists could just point to.

For working group lists, people point to RFC 2418 (WG guidelines) and RFC 3434 (updates), and for the IETF list, they point to RFC 3005 (IETF list charter). And sometimes to RFC 3184 (IETF Guidelines for Conduct), or RFC 3683 (IETF-wide posting right removal).

But when having to evaluate the question for the ietf-languages list a month ago, I did not find a written statement anywhere that said "here's how you operate an IETF list that is not a WG list".

So I resorted to "here's what would happen if this was a WG list, and I had the power of the WG chair to control the list, and because I run the list, I'm going to make it happen".

One of the signs of a maturing organization is said to be that it relies upon explicit rules rather than people's individual judgment. One of the signs of an ossifying organization is said to be that it has rules for everything.

So I kind of look favourably upon the idea of writing such a document - but... could we do it in such a way that the number of documents we have to ask people to read grows shorter, not longer....?

                         Harald



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