On Thu, Oct 27, 2022, at 09:10, Vittorio Bertola wrote:
I chose not to participate in this discussion but here I have to point out something.I am one of those who routinely use satire, sarcasm, jokes, metaphors, emphasis and more rhetorical and linguistic devices to communicate, and this, in addition to being a way for expressing my own self, is actually considered a sign of good writing and arguing skills in my culture. I had to learn to self-censor myself at the IETF; and still, sometimes I just fail and people complain and I feel out of place and stop participating (e.g. see the alt-dns thread on DNSOP).So, well, this is just one more of the IETF's exclusionary attitudes; possibly it is impossible not to have any, but let's not pretend that some social prohibitions (the ones the majority likes) are more justified than others.
NO HATS ON - this is just me and my own opinion.
I'd like to propose a counter point to this particular idea, about the relative justification of social prohibitions.
The issue with satire, sarcasm, etc - is that it's a pretty advanced form of communication. It's a game played by people at equal skill level, and it's a pretty intricate dance when done well. When done well it's fantastic, amazing, great for all involved.
BUT - it's not very good over email, where nuance is lost - unless played by players who already have a high level of trust and mutual understanding. And it's not very easily translated across cultural and language barriers.
SO - while satire, sarcasm, etc are quality forms of communication and absolutely to be encouraged in people's lives, it is not a good fit for the purpose of the IETF, which is clear technical communication and collaboration among a worldwide audience.
The IETF choses to do its work in English, though that choice is likewise not more "justified" than other choices, it's just what the majority likes. And we can likewise, as the IETF, choose to use a subset of English forms of communication, such that our style is most widely understood, and least likely to be misunderstood.
Regards,
Bron.
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Bron Gondwana, CEO, Fastmail Pty Ltd
brong@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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