Re: Newcomers [Was: Evolutionizing the IETF]

> In my opinion, the *location* of IETF meetings is not important for
> the technological openness of the standards, but it *is* important
> for its *symbolism*.

Many people seem to hold similar views about the social, political or 
emotional potential of IETF venue choice.
In the 1990s, when the Internet was developing as a global 
infrastructure, such roles for the IETF made sense, because the IETF 
meeting helped to promote the Internet.  Indeed, local Internet 
infrastructure often was significantly improved in order to accommodate 
the arrival of an IETF.
In my opinion, today, such factors are distractions from the primary 
purpose of the IETF meeting venue, which is getting IETF work 
accomplished.
Work is accomplished by being maximally accessible to the widest range 
of /active/ IETF participants.  Accessibility is affected by effort, 
cost and local resources.  This means easy travel to the venue, a good 
choice of convenient, personal accommodation at different price points, 
a good meeting venue layout, and good choices for nearby eating.  (The 
list is simplified, of course; I'm choosing the ones I think most 
important.)
Extra travel effort and time, extra travel cost and/or inconvenient 
venue logistics serve as barriers to participation.  They make an IETF 
meeting less inclusive.
Meetings venues are placed around the world in order to distribute the 
pain of travel for actual participants, not to promote the IETF or the 
Internet.  Since so many participants are well-funded by their companies 
and do quite a bit of travel every year, many of us are less sensitive 
to these issues as barrier.  In that regard, we lack empathy and for 
those with less funding or less experience.
Some people believe that the presence of an IETF meeting serves as a 
kind of recruitment marketing to a region, for IETF participation. 
Beyond the single-meeting boost in 'local' attendance, I believe we have 
no data confirming any on-going increase in participation by people from 
that region.  After 20 years, we ought to have hard data.
Further, going to an area that typically has a tiny (and relatively 
stable) percentage of IETF meeting participants mostly serves to make 
meeting attendance more painful for /everyone/, rather than only a portion.
It is difficult enough to find high quality meeting sites.  Adding 
social, political or emotional concerns makes it /more/ difficult.

d/

ps. I'm speaking for myself only, of course.  And I've held the above 
views since Marshall Rose and I first suggested a significantly 
simplified meeting venue process in the 1990s.  My time on the IAOC has 
only strengthened my view.
--
 Dave Crocker
 Brandenburg InternetWorking
 bbiw.net