Subject: Re: how to contact the IETF

From: [email-masked] (Noel Chiappa)
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 20:07:21 -0500 (EST)

> From: Andrew Newton <[email-masked]>

    > Considering the IETF encourages people to communicate with it via
    > mailing lists

Actually, I thought the point of the mailing lists was for the members of the
IETF community to be able communicate with each other (notice how those two
words have a similar root).

(And since the IETF is an entirely open organization, and anyone can become a
member of the community anytime they want, with no charge or any other
membership barrier - other than access to email, which is not exactly a high
step - it should be obvious that my prior statement is in no way a statement
that the IETF community wants to keep outsiders 'out'.)

	Noel

---

From: [email-masked] (Noel Chiappa)
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:08:46 -0500 (EST)

> From: Keith Moore <[email-masked]>

    >> a formal policy that a mass email campaign should count _against_ the
    >> position taken by that campaign, precisely to dis-incentivize such
    >> campaigns.

    > that kind of policy might actually encourage "gaming" of the IETF.

Good point. It might be hard to do undetectably, but that's further
hair to the rules (in addition to Ed and Melinda's points).

    > My suggestion is to have a page on the IETF page called "how to
    > influence IETF deliberations" 

I think that's an excellent idea, no matter what else (if anything) is done -
and something I also doubt anyone could/would object to.

I assume it could mention that many IETF members look with dis-favour on
mass email campaigns? :-)

Now all we need is a volunteer... :-)

	Noel