Re: Common sense, process, and the nature of change

On 10/11/2012 18:26, Randy Presuhn wrote:
> Hi -
>
> > From: "Scott Brim" <swb(_at_)internet2(_dot_)edu>
> > To: "Ted Hardie" <ted(_dot_)ietf(_at_)gmail(_dot_)com>
> > Cc: "IETF" <ietf(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org>
> > Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 6:32 AM
> > Subject: Re: Common sense, process, and the nature of change
> >
> > Ted: Very nice but I would go further.  You believe that everyone in the
> > IETF has either internalized the mission or will in the course of
> > participating.  I think the IETF has already lost that unity of mission,
> > particularly with the influx of corporate participants who were not
> > around in the idealistic days.  For them the new normal is to use the
> > IETF as a tool for creating competitive advantage -  ....
> As I see it, that "new normal" has been the norm as long as I've been
> working on IETF-related stuff - over twenty years.
Which is exactly why Harald wrote the mission statement in the first
place. Inevitably there will be people who come here for the benefit
of their employer's business objectives. It's the job of those who care
about the Internet as a whole to proselytise those people.

I agree with your cynicism, but IMHO the mission statement is the best
tool we have, so we should use it.

I think there is scope for a plenary rant about this, and for a new slide
in the newcomers' presentation, which quotes "reject kings and presidents"
but doesn't currently mention the mission statement afaik.

(http://www.ietf.org/newcomers.html does mention it, but I don't know
how many people start there.)

     Brian