On March 31, 2017, we put out a request for input on experiences with travel to the recent IETF meeting in the US, and solicited information pertinent to plans to attend IETF meetings within or outside the US in the coming years. We have had over 350 responses to the questionnaire, and we appreciate each and every one of them! We did not gather the data in such a way for it to reflect a representative sample of the IETF community, or of potential meeting attendees. But we did gain insights from those who responded that we did not have before.
Over 40% of the respondents said they had attended 20 or more IETF meetings, and over 50% of them said they were authors of active working group documents. Slightly more than 40% stated US residency, and just less than 60% said they were not US-resident. There was a noted impact of the recent changes to US travel policies and procedures. Of the respondents living outside of the US who did NOT attend the IETF meeting in Chicago, a few were denied visas or entry into the US, and more than 30 said they did not come because of concerns about US travel restrictions. On the other hand 45 people said they were not troubled by the US situation (and presumably chose not to come for other reasons). For those who did travel to IETF 98 in Chicago, the written comments were illuminating: most people had no issues (for some, even a smoother border crossing than usual); some people experienced the expected flutter over visa approvals as things were in flux as the US Executive Order and court stays played out, but were eventually able to come. The general comments on meeting in the US played along the same lines as has been shared on the IETF discussion list: people are variously for moving all meetings out of the US, or adamantly against, or somewhere in between, each position supported by good reasons. The IAOC is continuing to gather data on travel to the US, concerns about traveling outside of it, and what alternatives are possible for IETF 102. Our focus is currently on whether holding IETF 102 in San Francisco is the best option to meet the needs of IETF work, recognizing that we cannot predict the future. While it may take several weeks to allow for review and negotiation of any alternatives (if applicable), we are moving as quickly as possible because we realize that people will need time to plan their travel. Leslie, for the IAOC.
