Reaction to T-shirts

[Harald Tveit Alvestrand <harald@alvestrand.no>]

Just wanted folks to know that this reaction is out there.

I have tried to get him to say why I should consider these T-shirts more 
unacceptable than other T-shirts (using the "I don't understand this 
culture well enough to be sure" argument), and pointed out that pointed 
T-shirts are a long-standing IETF tradition. Dialogue is slow - he might 
have dismissed me as someone who will not take any form of criticism 
seriously, and so not bother answering.

I also tried to engage him in dialogue over the concept of "representing", 
with as little success.

But I wanted you all to know about it. Treat as you see fit.
(I did tell him that if I appeared to dictatorially ban "pointed" T-shirts 
from the stage, I risked someone appearing without one, which might not go 
over well in Austria...... so I am NOT going to do that....)

               Harald

---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Date: mandag, juni 30, 2003 11:59:05 -0400
From: Mpierce1@aol.com
To: chair@ietf.org
Cc:
Subject: IETF Participant Behaviour

Dear Harald Alvestrand,

Following the March 2003 meeting I hesitated to write to you, but since, I
have realized that it is important that I do so to ensure that you are
aware of what I believe is a serious situation existing within the IETF
concerning unacceptable, offensive actions by some participants. I believe
that you and the IETF leadership have more significant problems to deal
with, but I am bring this case to your attention since I believe that it is
really a part of that bigger problem.

I have attended the past eight IETF meeting, so I realize that I am still
in the "new-comer" category. My work involves representing the interests of
the US Department of Defense, a fact that I neither hide nor am ashamed of.
I also realize that there are many in the IETF who are personally opposed
to the policies and actions of the US Defense Department, and they are
certainly entitled to those personal opinions.

However, those personal opinions have been getting in the way of making
progress on a number of issues as evidenced by the actions of a few IETF
participants.

As part of my work, I have been pushing capabilities for "Assured Service"
and priority calling features in the IEPREP WG. These have often been
categorized as requiring better QoS for such services.

At the San Francisco meeting this past March, a half dozen of so
individuals came to the IEPREP meeting with t-shirts that had "IEPREP" and
the date of the meeting on the back and on the front was a red (communist)
star with the words "QoS comes from the barrel of a gun", an obvious
reference to the US Department of Defense. I might be able to ignore such
behavior as being the work of a few irresponsible individuals who are
simply displaying what has become accepted IETF behavior, however, that
evening when the new IESG sat at the front of the room, two of the IESG
members were wearing those t-shirts. I consider it totally unacceptable for
those representing the group as a whole or in leadership positions to be
expressing their personal opinions in any way, whether by what they say or
by what their t-shirts say, especially when it is clearly intended to be
offensive.

I trust that you will consider this behavior to be outside of what is
acceptable and to determine what can be done to advise those in leadership
positions that they should act more responsibly in the future.

Thanks for your consideration of this matter.

Regards,

Mike Pierce

---------- End Forwarded Message ----------