Hi, Michael, On 26/1/21 17:59, Michael StJohns wrote:
On 1/25/2021 5:06 PM, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
[...]
Another point is that the IETF is more about getting good technical stuff out, whereas the ISOC is all about "... promot[ing] the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world". Those have some points of intersection, but as has been pointed out - the IETF tends to be a bit parochial.
I will not challenge that. But I'd say that the inclusiveness problem has a lot to do with organizations claiming that the topic is not and must not be part of their agenda. And the problem is not fixed by simply getting a more diverse management, but rather by solving structural problems (if any).
I'd also note that most of the times I've "lurked" this list, many of the most heated debates didn't have a lot to do with getting good technical stuff out.
Consider, for example, the somewhat recent thread about "inclusive language", where most of the debate was triggered by a movement about a racism problem in one specific country, that many other countries don't even experience. And, indeed, most of the discussion was around, again, one particular of form of "inclusive language", so to speak. (i.e., mostly only those terms relevant to such movement).
Additionally, we have (had?) a diversity list, and we *are* having a discussion on diversity. So, in this respect, "diversity" does seem to be part of the IETF agenda.
I'd note that I support the underlying causes (e.g. blm), and appreciate many of these discussions and associated efforts. I also believe that they have been pursued in good faith.
However, if the IETF is going to address the diversity issue, it should probably seriously consider many axis, rather than cherry-pick a few of them that seems relevant to some of its participants -- particularly when we start from the assumption that the community is not very diverse in the first place.
Just my two cents. Thanks, -- Fernando Gont SI6 Networks e-mail: fgont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx PGP Fingerprint: 6666 31C6 D484 63B2 8FB1 E3C4 AE25 0D55 1D4E 7492
