--On Tuesday, February 02, 2016 16:45 -0500 Michael StJohns
<mstjohns(_at_)comcast(_dot_)net> wrote:
Let me suggest that instead of delegating the IAB chair
responsibilities we, instead, change the ex-officio status
that the various chairs currently have to observer status,
change the organizational appointees to permit (require?)
appointment from their appointing organizations, and also add
two or three additional permanent members to the IAOC, those
members to be selected in alternate years by the Nomcom.
...
2) "Doesn't a larger IAOC mean a more unwieldy organization".
Answer: The ex-officio chairs now move to observer status and
can attend as they wish. The number of voting members remains
the same. The members appointed by/related to a specific
organization get reduced to 3 of 7 or 3 of 8 voting members.
Ideally, the appointed organizational voting members have the
IAOC as one of their primary tasks and would address the
concern that the "IAB chair has too much to do".
At least for me, this has a lot of appeal. The other advantage
of the observer idea is that the three key people stay on the
mailing list so that, if something significant comes up, they
are in a good position to complain to the rest of the IAOC
and/or to bring the matter to the attention of the bodies they
lead or the whole community.
While I think I understand Bob Hinden's reasoning about the IAB
Chair being "directly involved" in certain discussions and
decisions, it seems to me that the IAOC (and IETF Trust) are
primarily administrative bodies. If they need to make
significant policy decisions, those decisions should be made in
consultation with the community (and reflecting community
consensus) and not by assertion of some inherent powers. Having
the IAB (and even IETF and ISOC) Chairs as observers should be
more than sufficient to ensure the community is consulted when
needed, perhaps even more effective than the present arrangement.
Mike's model would presumably also expand the number of people
eligible to serve as IAOC and IETF Trust Chair, which is
probably also A Good Thing.
john