> -----Original Message----- > From: owner-ietf@ietf.org [mailto:owner-ietf@ietf.org]On > Behalf Of Jim > Fleming > Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2003 9:59 AM > To: 'The IETF' > Subject: "...they didn't hide the fact that they were > representing their > employers..." ? > Jim, Why is it against federal law for federally funded people to work on telecom protocols? This is news to me and I have been fairly active in various protocol forums for many years. When I represented govt. interests, this federal affiliation has never been kept secret and I have spoken about it many times. What law are you referring to? As I remember it, when the IETF was started, most of the people were federally financed including the the IAB chair, Phil Gross. In view of the fact that the DOD financed the Internet at a time when it was not economically competitive (early 80's) and has been a leading "early adopter" whose business financed a lot of development, meeting the DOD peculiar requirements was not that unreasonable. > > You may be missing two key points... > > 1. Many of the I* society participants are funded directly > or indirectly by the U.S. Government. > > 2. It is against the U.S. Federal laws for federally funded > people to work on telecommunication protocols. > > That forces people to lie. Once they learn to lie, it > becomes a big game. They then move > that game to their non-profit, corporate boards, where they > are "Directors" but tell people > that they stand in the hallway at meetings, and therefore > are not involved. In summary, they > (the I* society liars) have spent years gaming every U.S. > funded system. You are their prey. I have no idea what this is referring to. When I represented the DOD, they would have been quite dissatisfied if I has not been active in the meetings. Steve Silverman > > > Jim Fleming > http://www.IPv8.info > > > >