Re: [wg-d] WG Principles

[Randy Bush <randy@psg.com>]

> Being the only person on this mailing list who has been a chairman of an
> IETF working group

this is clearly a false assumption.  <nasty grin>

> Soft policy, as opposed to technical development, requires a more
> formalized discussion structure, with many external checkpoints along the
> way to validate that the working group has not lost its way and become
> isolated.
> 
> Soft policy, as opposed to technical development, requires that the
> working group product be considered not an end awaiting rubber stamp
> ratification, but merely a possible starting point for acceptance by
> broader and broader groups of interested parties.

the iesg and some of the more successful wg chairs might think that these
also apply to technical work.

> IETF working groups are the primary vehicle of IETF work, they are not
> subordinate to the IESG or the IAB.

the latter is not precisely true.  the iesg tries to keep garbage from
floating to the top, and has means to do so.  it tries to exercise them with
taste and restraint.

> Matters in IETF working groups are susceptable of objective evaluation 

some are, some are not.  the more socially inept technologists seem to
entertain black and white notions such as this.  but the social evidence
that we're all silly monkeys occasionally becomes obvious even to the
nerdiest of us.

> and are never settled absent implementation experience.

we wish it was like this.  it's more like implementation experience is
perceived as very desirable and is taken very seriously when available.

> The IETF working group model is fine for relatively focused technical
> matters among people with relatively well aligned mindsets and goals.

you're kidding, right?

> But it is not a good model for the development of domain name policy.

i am not sure what it is useful to steal from the ietf and what is not.  so,
though i disagree a good bit with your characterization of the ietf process,
i reserve judgement on what is worth stealing for the goals of wg-d.  i
suspect it is more than you seem willing to steal.

randy