Re: The RFC2418 appellant processes

[Igor Faynberg <faynberg@bell-labs.com>]

todd glassey wrote:
> 

> The real issue is in making it possible for all to
> make and create standards for the Internet, not just companies like > Cisco and MCI... 

Even a cursory look at the RFC Index would satisfy anyone that the "standards
for the Internet" have been written by people who are employed by many companies
(including their own), not only "Cisco and MCI." And, of course, companies are
NOT writing any standards in the IETF--people do. For that matter, companies are
not even recognized in the IETF!  I think anyone who writes to the POISSON list
with a proposal to change the IETF standards process should AT LEAST attempt to
learn the IETF basics.

> ...
> The IETF is supposed to be fair and open and that means everyone
> gets a bite at the standards apple.
> ...

And I should testify that I came to the IETF in 1996 with an idea (by the way,
not at all necessarily liked by all), got a bite at the standards apple, liked
it, and have continued enjoying the apple. And so have many, many others who had
ideas and wanted to influence technical standards.  The IETF has great culture
and excellent procedures in place for establishing the consensus and for
producing the standards that the Internet needs. 

My observation is that the IETF is both fair and open, perhaps TOO fair and TOO
open as it allows cascades of irrelevant and meaningless political messages
(often loaded with personal insults) to pollute its mailing lists (and,
subsequently, the mailboxes of those who subscribet to these lists)...

Igor Faynberg