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Re: Progressing I-Ds Immediately Before Meetings

2008-07-19 19:28:34


ned+ietf(_at_)mauve(_dot_)mrochek(_dot_)com wrote:
That said, exceptions should definitely be possible, and I would
delegate that to WG Chair level.

Well, that's a step forward, but instead of delgating an exception process
why not delegate the authority to decide on an appropriate draft handling
policy?


Oddly, I think it really doesn't. By keeping the view that it is an "exception", it enforces a cumbersome, IETF-wide, Procrustean model with an exception, rather than a simple model with no need for exceptions.

Either working groups know how to run themselves on a daily basis -- that is, excepting real crises -- or they don't.

If they do. then we do not need one-size-fits-all-except-when-it-doesn't rules. If they don't, then we need to be much, much better about writing and enforcing rules. (And all the evidence says that we won't be.)

As of now, we fail to enforce rules that exist and we have enforcement of rules that don't. The underlying problem is that folks who are active in the IETF are not really all that fond of following strict rules.

Personally, I think that's a Very Good Thing. However the persistent Bad Thing is that we keep pretending that we need lots of rules.

What we really need to be is reasonable, open and accountable, with "local" control for local activities.

Fewer rules, more working group self-management.

Oversight should be just that. And that's quite different from micro-management.

d/

--

  Dave Crocker
  Brandenburg InternetWorking
  bbiw.net
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