Historically the work of the IETF has been conducted over mailing lists.
This practice ensures the widest possible involvement in the working
group process. This practice is not as efficient in terms of producing
specifications as extended face-to-face meetings but is much more
inclusive.
In attending meetings for a group that does all its work in extended
face-to-face discussions, I discovered another benefit of the mailing-list
orientation of the IETF: deliberation.
When a reliance on face-to-face meetings is coupled with any sort of timely
deadline, the group is forced to make potentially precipitous decisions.
When discussion and decision-making can extend over the longer
period of email
discussion, the decision-making has much more opportunity to consider
implications and recover from problematic choices.
In summary, email discussion has less tendency toward "group think"
than face-to-face gatherings.
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