Re: Fairness and changing rules

Sam,

trying to avoid pointing at persons, despite the fact that a specific 
person is at the heart of the current discussion...... your 3 points are 
very valid reasons for avoiding rule changes, but I think you miss the 
point I was trying to make.
The IESG was asked to choose between two alternatives:

- Execute a PR-Action against "X"
- Do not execute a PR-Action against "X"

In the ensuing discussion, you have argued that there should be other 
procedures for mailing list management, which are suited to "lesser 
offenses".
Doing this at the same time as considering the PR-action against "X" has 
some interesting consequences:
- The "problem behaviour" that the rule seeks to address is likely to get 
crafted so that it's clear whether "X"'s behaviour falls within or outside 
the description. While this makes things clearer in this case, I believe 
that history shows very low predictive value for whether or not such a rule 
will be clear once a new case comes along.
- The "reaction" that the rule seeks to implement will take the form of 
whatever the discussion concludes is a reasonable reaction to the behaviour 
exhibited by "X". Again, this is no predictor of whether or not the 
reaction will be adequate, overreaction, or underreaction for the next case 
that comes along.
- The discussion that has to come before the final crafting of the new 
rules is likely to take some time - months, if experience is a guide. This 
offers an excuse for avoiding making a decision in "X"'s specific case - 
thus prolonging the time of indecision.
I do not want the IETF to craft rules for "X", and then re-craft them for 
"Y", "Z" and "W" because hastily crafted rules did not fit the next 
situation to come along. I want the rules to be reasonable, and stable.
And I think making up rules while considering a specific unique case is 
harmful to such a process.
One point in closing:

A PR-action, or a mailing list suspension, is NOT a punishment. Rules of 
order exist to protect the IETF's ability to do its work.
I believe that's your central responsibility.

                        Harald

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