In my opinion, it is a matter of Leading Edge vs. Trailing Edge.
The IETF used to be a leading edge group. It created things.
Now the IETF is a trailing edge organization. It discovers things.
One of the problems with this is that when things are discovered,
IETF members claim they created them, and only reference their
own members.
I suppose if man ever lands on Mars, some people on Earth will
claim we built Mars, and then flew there...
Jim Fleming
http://www.unir.com
Mars 128n 128e
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike O'Dell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2001 10:35 AM
Subject: "I am a strong believer in the democratic process."
>
> if so, you should stay far, far away from the IETF.
>
> it is not "democratic", never has been and never should be
>
> it is a meritocracy of a quite rude and abrasive sort
> and that's neither an accident nor a bug
>
> good ideas don't need the benefit of the doubt
>
> if you have an idea but it isn't yet baked enough
> to withstand a public proctological examination, keep working
> on it in private, among yourselves, however you choose
> to work, until it is baked and you can defend its
> architecture and design.
>
> THEN you can ask for a working group.
>
> working groups attempting to design a half-baked idea
> not only don't get the benefit of the doubt,
> they shouldn't get the benefit of existance in the first place.
>
> "We don't believe in kings, presidents, or voting.
> We believe in rough consensus and running code."
> -Dave Clark, Internet Architect
>
> "I know rough consensus when I feel it."
> -Anonymous IESG Area Director
>
> So much for parlimentarianism.
>
> -mo
> ex-Anonymous IESG Area Director
>
