I wanted to state that I think the IESG did about the right thing. I think the
policy they put together is appropriate and can be improved if later if we
should get some experience. I hope we don't get very much "running code" and
it won't be necessary to invoke it, but I think it is good that we now have an
anti-harassment policy.
Bob
On Nov 3, 2013, at 2:55 PM, Dave Crocker <dhc(_at_)dcrocker(_dot_)net> wrote:
On 11/3/2013 2:22 PM, IETF Chair wrote:
As has been previously discussed, the IESG is setting up an
anti-harassment policy for the IETF.
Jari,
I've been considering a posting like this for some months. Your timing is
therefore unfortunately fortuitous...
From my reading of the public responses to this initiative, there does indeed
appear to be strong community support for pursuing an anti-harassment policy.
However...
There was detailed feedback provided which received no responses, and even
worse, there has been no record established of IETF rough consensus for the
text you've just announced.[*]
In formal terms, it's not at all clear (to me, at least) that the
IESG has the authority to declare something like an IETF-wide
anti-harassment policy by fiat, no matter how laudable the effort.
What was -- and remains -- needed is for the IESG to work through feedback
issues publicly and on the record, the same as any working group needs to do,
and then to issue a formal Last Call and to require explicit and informed
statements that produce a clear sense of active community rough consensus in
support.
I'm am quite confident that anti-harassment is a topic that will get that
support. But really, the IESG hasn't done the work that's needed yet, no
matter how excellent or poor the latest text might be.
d/
[*] This only the latest of what I believe is is a relatively long-standing
pattern for IESG and IAB documents, to be very selective in responding to
feedback and then to summarily decide on final forms. The IAB probably has
the formal authority to behave that way, independent of whether it is
advisable. I believe the IESG rarely, if ever, does.
--
Dave Crocker
Brandenburg InternetWorking
bbiw.net