At 11:11 AM 4/11/2013, Ray Pelletier wrote:
All
The IETF is concerned about diversity. As good engineers, we would like
to attempt to measure diversity while working on addressing and increasing
it. To that end, we are considering adding some possibly sensitive
questions to the registration process, for example, gender. Of course,
they need not be answered and would be clearly labeled as optional.
The IAOC would like to hear from the community on this proposal. It plans to
make a decision on its 18 April call in order to make the changes in time for
the
Berlin registration and will consider all input received by 17 April.
I think this is a pretty underspecified proposal.
In general, you use a survey to answer specific questions that have come up
during postulate creation. As far as I can tell, the postulate so far is "We
need to be more diverse". And the question is "Just how diverse are we
actually?" Or is the postulate "We need a more diverse leadership"? And the
question is: "Does the diversity of the IETF as a whole differ from the
diversity of the leadership in a statistically significant manner"?
Or more along the lines of "We think our ability to do the work of the IETF is
impacted by the general composition of the IETF and IETF leadership"? And the
questions are "What work is impacted by the current composition?" and "WIll a
change in the general diversity structure mitigate those impacts?"
If we go with the diversity stuff, I ask what scales of diversity?
Gender?
National Origin?
Company Size?
Company Sector (e.g. do we care about bell heads vs net heads)?
Academic vs Commercial vs Fabrege Egg Headius ? (Marshal Rose's term for those
who attend standards meetings for the purpose of attending standards meetings).
Race?
Sexual Orientation?
Geek vs Nerd?
Age?
My personal observations over the years is that I've gotten the most useful
forms of diversity FOR THE IETF PURPOSES by looking across company/organization
and company size, region (pac/america/europe/asia - but after Company), and
academic vs corporate. Occasionally Geek vs Nerd (open source vs for profit
stuff).
The rest - not so much.
I'd like a more fully specified proposal before saying yea or nay. I believe it
should include the purpose (e.g.what exactly are you trying to find out and
where did the question come from?) and a list of a axes of diversity that
might impact on the purpose.
Thanks - Mike
Thanks for your feedback.
Ray
IAD