> -----Original Message----- > From: ietf-boun...@ietf.org [mailto:ietf-boun...@ietf.org] On Behalf Of > Murray S. Kucherawy > Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 4:06 PM > To: IETF discussion list > Subject: On attending BoFs > > I've been encouraged to say this to a wider audience, so here I am. > > > > A BoF is the IETF's tool for gauging interest in a new topic and a > potential working group charter. This doesn't just mean a showing of > people that would track this work if it were to begin, but really the > main purpose is to determine the level of commitment to do the work, > which includes things like counting people willing to review and > comment on documents, people willing to act as editors, potential > implementers, and perhaps potential co-chairs. > > > > When we ask for a BoF room, we need to give an indication of estimated > attendance. Sometimes it's hard to make a good guess and so we > underestimate, intending to keep larger rooms available for groups that > need them. As a result, the BoF room is packed. But when it's packed > with what have come to be known as "tourists", those people that could > be counted as committed to the work can't even get into the room, which > jeopardizes the creation of an otherwise viable working group. I > suspect I can safely say Dave Crocker would categorize this as an > unintentional denial-of-service attack on the new work. > > > > And it's certainly not friendly to the work that's trying to get > started by filling a seat in a room "because it's warm." > > > > Perhaps in the future this should be mentioned to BoF attendees before > the meeting really gets going. I certainly plan to do so for future > BoFs that I run or at which I present.
You're going to ask attendees to self-identify as tourists and leave the room? Today's tourists may well become tomorrow's document editors. BoFs are IETF's tchotchkes. People like new things. As an example, Homenet is a new WG (not a BoF), and was well attended (every seat filled, people sitting on the floor, and standing). Let's just assign large enough rooms to BoFs and newly-formed WGs so that the work can start in earnest. -d _______________________________________________ Ietf mailing list Ietf@ietf.org https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf
