Re: If Muslims are blocked by the U.S., should the IETF respond?

Alejandro Acosta <alejandroacostaalamo@xxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 30 Jan 2017 20:40:46 -0400



    Hello,
       I just want to say something very short: I don´t believe IETF
      should take a political position but at the same time I believe
      that IETF should express something in this matter (not necessarily
      is political). 

    
      The worst thing we can do is do not say anything.

    
      I fully agree with Kathy Brown post and IACR statement.

    
    Thanks,
    

    Alejandro,

    
    El 30/1/17 a las 1:44 p.m., Alia Atlas
      escribió:

    
      There is already an ISOC blog.
        

        https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/institutional/2017/01/message-internet-society-president-and-ceo-kathy-brown

        
        On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 12:14 PM,
          Michael StJohns <mstjohns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
          wrote:

          
              On 1/30/2017 11:53 AM, Melinda Shore
                wrote:

                
                  On 1/30/17 7:30 AM, Randy Bush wrote:

                  
                    but sadly, i do not think the ietf has the guts and
                    the vision to even

                    do what an organization such as the iacr, crypto
                    assn which has long

                    experience with real politik etc. has done, [ ... ]

                  
                  Over the years it has become clear that being a
                  consensus-oriented

                  organization with a diverse participation makes it
                  impossible for

                  the IETF to make statements like this.  It would need
                  to come from the

                  chair, the IAB chair, or the I*.  (Yes, I think this
                  is a problem)

                  
                  Melinda

                  
            To be fair, the IACR, ACM etc are professional
            organizations; we the IETF are not.  Professional
            organizations (cf your state bar association, the American
            Medical Association and the like) are all about
            standardizing people, not things.  As such, they are more
            able to come up with a consistent public message.

            
            To expect us to be able to behave like one of them without a
            restructuring to become one of them is probably wishful
            thinking. Becoming one of them would probably be detrimental
            to our main mission of improving the internet.

            
            We are associated with two organizations that are, by
            charter, mostly outward facing: the IAB and the ISOC.  The
            latter organization is probably the right one to take point
            on statements of mostly political content related to issues
            that affect our mission.   I would like to suggest that we
            (the IAB and IESG and IETF Chair) request the ISOC draft a
            message along the lines of what the ACM and IACR and others
            have already written.  This would include such details as
            the affect on the IETF's meetings and the ISOC's outreach
            program and would ask them to incorporate suggestions from
            the IETF community on content (but leaving the wording to
            ISOC).  I'd also suggest they provide a signature page where
            IETF community members may endorse the ISOC message.

            
            I would further suggest that a faster but not perfect note
            is better than the alternative.

            
            Mike