On 05/08/2012, at 1:58 PM, Dave Crocker <dcrocker(_at_)bbiw(_dot_)net> wrote:
It's been amusing (not) to hear claims that the IETF needs to wander around
the world for its meetings, for what is really a marketing campaign, to
counter some of those other groups... who do indeed sit in one city for all
of their formal meetings.
Moving around in order to spread the pain of travel among folks who actually
do the work is one thing.
So, let's talk about that.
I live in Melbourne, and thus must travel for more than 24 hours each way to
just about every IETF meeting there is (the "asian" meetings are at best 16
hours away, but often more due to routing). Sometimes, much more.
Three or so locations doesn't spread the pain equitably.
Moving around to improve public relations is quite another.
You say "public relations", I say it's to encourage participation from a wider
range of people, so this doesn't become a self-selecting set of blowhards*.
This is a primary condition for an organisation that aspires to set standards,
not just a "marketing campaign".
Again, choosing three or so locations ignores large parts of not only the
developing world (e.g., Africa, India), but also substantial portions of the
developed world with a reasonable track record of participation (e.g.,
Australia, New Zealand, Brazil).
As much as I fear unleashing a mob of cookie-eating, hotel-complaining,
detail-fixated, t-shirt wearing, difference-from-America-fearing,
beard-wielding, restaurant-bill-splitting nerd-ninjas on my adopted country, I
think there are very good selfish *and* unselfish reasons for the IETF
returning to Australia, or appearing nearby. And going to Brazil or
thereabouts, and India, and (eventually) Africa. Doesn't have to be every year,
but once a decade+ is not often enough.
Regards,
* Well, more of one.
--
Mark Nottingham
http://www.mnot.net/