On Sun, Mar 9, 2014 at 1:17 PM, Russ Housley <housley@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The IETF had a discussion about languages while Harald was chair. In my opinion, every dimension of the issues was discussed at that time. I do not think that anything new has been raised for use to reopen the discussion.
I don't think that is a helpful approach. Rather too often in IETF process it turns out that there is never a time to raise an issue. It is either too early or too late.
From a practical point of view any proposal to use more than one language would have to propose a mechanism for providing translation between them. This would require the proposal to consider both the cost of providing the translators and identifying a group of translators that is capable of meeting IETF needs.
Leaving aside the cost issue, there simply isn't any group of interpreters that is going to be able to provide simultaneous live translation of IETF working group activities. I don't think any of us want to work from prepared remarks submitted to the translators in advance.
I know that there are translators who can and do provide such services at technical conferences, I worked with them when I helped kill COMDEX by giving the keynote address at the last COMDEX in Brazil. But a keynote address is a very different matter to a working group discussion on the interpretation of the criticality bit in X.509.
Website: http://hallambaker.com/