--On Sunday, May 26, 2002 3:32 PM -0500 Pete Resnick <presnick@qualcomm.com> wrote: > It seems to me that exactly the same thing can be said about > POISSON and it gets along just fine conflicting with other > meetings. Actually, Pete, POISSON didn't have a face to face meeting for years, and the conflicts with other meetings are a large part of the reason. > The people who will go to an IPR meeting instead of > going to another one are those folks who want to contribute to > setting IETF IPR policy. I think putting it on a day with no > other meetings *invites* people who may or may not care very > much, but are willing to rant on given the invitation. But it also excludes conflicting WG Chairs and editors, along with most of the IESG and at least part of the IAB. It is valuable, I believe, to have those we charge with implementing and interpreting policies present and participating when they are shaped. > Furthermore, decisions of the IETF do not take place at > face-to-face meetings and it better not be *required* to > attend this meeting if you want to have input on IETF IPR > policy. But Dave's comment is important here, I think: if we can get the right people to this meeting, it may have some educational value for those who want to contribute to IPR policy as amateur lawyers. Uneducated decisions (or even positions and drafts) that are made largely by those people can, at best, waste huge amounts of time and energy. john