Being a scribe can be a good way for people to know who you are (the scribe). From reading the thread on this, when you ask someone who is new, how about having them sit next to someone who is more familiar with the attendees to help with names? Maybe for those which English is not a first language, they could monitor the jabber list for questions. They may be more comfortable with certain aspects of volunteering during a session or reading drafts on their own time.
It would be good to get the message out to newcomers that volunteering is important. You help others and they help you, it is basic networking skills and does work in the IETF. Thanks, Kathleen From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Stewart Bryant Sent: Monday, April 22, 2013 6:05 AM To: Ted Hardie Cc: IETF Subject: Re: Meritocracy, diversity, and leaning on the people you know On 19/04/2013 19:13, Ted Hardie wrote: As a working group chair, when I stare out at a sea of faces looking for a scribe, the chances of my asking someone I know produces good minutes is much higher than my asking someone whose work I don't know. Think about how this often works in WGs without a secretary or regular scribe. Chair says we need a volunteer for a scribe. Everyone looks away and sits on their hands. Chair says no scribe, no meeting. Everyone looks away and hangs their head even lower melting into the floor. Chair pleads a bit more. Silence. Chair asks someone they know since they are less likely to refuse. There maybe a refusal or two by people who expect to be at the mic a lot, or need to leave early, or are only there to catch up with their email. Eventually someone committed to the WG, and usually well known to the chairs, frequently a name called by the chair, offers to scribe in order to the meeting started. The strong temptation is to just ask one of the well known good scribes before the meeting in order not to waste time in a tight agenda. Stewart
