as inconsistent with IETF norms, then, whatever the value of
such meetings might be, it is time to stop attending --and
adding IETF/IAB credibility by your presence-- unless you can
get firm guarantees, in advance, about whether statements will
be issued and, if they will be, how they are approved.
Good luck with those firm guarantees.
I don't see much benefit in staying away, since that just means the
conspirators will conspire out of our sight. But it appears that our
leadership may often find themselves in places where they'll have to
say that they went to the meeting, and they will report back to the
IETF and/or IAB, but they cannot bind their organizations and hence
cannot sign whatever the communique says. I do not envy them the
complaints this will provoke from everyone else at the meeting, but
that's why we pay them those big bucks.
The GAC at ICANN is often like that, they send a rep who can talk but
can't sign off on anything without getting consensus from the full
GAC, which is not easily obtained. The rest of ICANN finds this
extremely irritating and wishes the GAC would act like other groups,
but they won't, and it's just as well.
R's,
John