[idn] UTF-8 as the long-term IDN solution

["D. J. Bernstein" <djb@cr.yp.to>]

> > I have read a lot of comments on this list that state that ACE is just
> > an intermediate step to help us get to a UTF-8 solution.
> I don't agree with those comments.

I believe that the IDN WG has consensus on the following point: ``The
long-term IDN solution will encode Unicode characters as UTF-8 on the
wire.'' I find the other possibilities absurd, and I am dismayed at the
amount of time that has been wasted discussing them on the IDN list.

On 2001-05-29 I requested that the the IDN WG chairs run a poll to see
whether we do, in fact, have consensus on this point.

``I would like to hear some support on this before we run this poll,''
James Seng said, speaking as chair.

He promptly heard some support, but he did not run the poll. I asked why
the chairs were not running the poll. There was no response.

I accuse the chairs of bias in their selection of polls. They appear to
be running polls that they believe will promote their personal agendas,
and refusing to run any other polls. Does the IETF have any procedures
to fix this problem?

In a legitimate standards organization, when 2/3 of the members agree on
something, they can easily force a binding vote---not just a wishy-washy
``poll''---over the chair's opposition. They can even expel the chair;
I've never heard of that actually happening, but it's comforting to know
that the group has final control over the chair, instead of vice versa.

---Dan