Thanks for your training, and I enjoyed it even though I listen to it before two years remotely in other previous meetings. You were very inspiring us and encouraging us to participate, thanks. I asked you in the end some questions and I got the answers but I thought it will be nice if I give my comments and review on this list to possibly help the future attendees.
Review date: 05.03.2014.
Document Presentation date: 02.03.2014.
Document: Bradner, 2014, IETF Structure and Internet Standards Process, IETF 89, London.
Reviewed by Abdussalam.
Summary: The presentation is a tutorial base and it may be said it is a new comer orientation, however, the reviewer believes that it is training to help new participant to engage and join. The review is based on that the document is for training new participants in IETF activities. The number of slide (S) or pages of the document is 60 slides/pages, it maybe long for 2 hour tutorial, however, it is considering many important issues of IETF and also considers active participants understandings. There are few difficulties for new comer to understand, but below comment points try to improve.
The title: IETF structure and Internet Standards Process.
AB1- I recommend the title to be amended to: What is IETF, objectives, structure, processes and policies. For simplicity and to guide audience to important main points.
AB3- Slide 6, IETF purpose. I suggest to add the words (Internet Community). So one of most important activity is that IETF serves that community.
AB4- Slides 4, 10 and 37, are confusing. In S4 it says IETF has no members, but in S10 it says IESG members and other body members, also in S37 shows that IESG is part of IETF. That may mean that IETF has members, so we cannot say as in S4 that IETF has no members.
AB5- the slides consider how the IETF WG is created but not how IETF areas are created. I don't think it is right that IESG should only be responsible for creating IETF areas. The community should have voice in creating or changing IETF areas.
I hope in future that each 5 years we get a message from IESG saying IETF areas structure proposal (renew same, or restructure). That can be done in one meeting may be better than the list.
AB5- Slide 5, shows f2f (i.e. face to face) attendance of participants which increased between 1996 to 2002, in average above 2000. That is a 8 year duration with many meetings per year (totally about 24 f2f event) with numbers of about 2000 attendees and then decreased after 2002 becoming in average above 1000 and less than 1500 attendees. IMHO, the community had not continued to attend because of possible difficulties or high probability of waste time, with slow production, also the diversity problem that still IETF needs to fix.
AB6- recommend that slides 35 and 36 to be in the start slides. The role and scope of IETF is the first important issue to think of by new comers and how to compare IETF to ITU. So think it is better flow of tutorial to make both 35 and 36 beside slide 6 (i.e. IETF purpose).
AB7- in the tutorial on Sunday there was not enough time in the end organised for new comers to ask questions only about 10 minutes. Usually in tutorials the aim and objectives are two way communication, and more Q&A interaction. I hope that IETF future meeting tutorials consider timing of tutorial to achieve better objectives and more new comer understanding.
Overall, it was a great tutorial and I think all enjoyed it, but this message is just to add above feedback for future better understanding. I may be wrong in some points, but could not keep it for myself, just wanted to share my thoughts, and like to see others comment.
Best Regards
Abdussalam Baryun