A 100.000 foot perspective on "what is the problem"

[Dave Crocker]

RJ,

Monday, December 16, 2002, 10:31:39 AM, you wrote:
RJ>         Speaking as an individual, I'll note that when the IAB does provide
RJ> architectural guidance, it often receives significant push-back from
RJ> the technology advocates that the guidance is directed towards.

My own experience is that it often is received quite well. Often, TOO well.
That is, it often seems to be accepted blindly, rather than engendering
thoughtful consideration by its recipients. The architectural output from
the IAB over the last few years has always been extremely constructive, but
it is not always true that it should be accepted blindly.


RJ>   Since
RJ> "too much architectural guidance from on high" is part of why the IETF
RJ> re-organised itself after the Cambridge Tea Party in July 1992,

We could go down a long, painful and unproductive rathole about the
post-Kobe events, but I'll simply note that "architectural guidance" was
almost entirely unrelated to the problems that I saw causing the community
reaction.  The difficulties I saw were about authority-related processes.

But, rather than go down that rathole, I'll repeat the above: I believe
recent history has shown the IAB to be producing constructive architectural
comments that have often been paid attention to. More or stronger
architectural output -- or other optimizations to their input to the
community -- might be worth considering. But I emphasize "optimization".


RJ> If the community as a whole wants more IAB advice given, even when not
RJ> everyone will like the contents of that advice, then this is something
RJ> that needs to get worked explicitly into any BCPs that result from the
RJ> current organisational review activity, IMHO.

Why?  How does it affect the problems this discussion is trying to consider?
How would it change the basic mandate to produce architectural guidance the
IAB is already pursuing?


d/
-- 
 Dave <mailto:dhc@dcrocker.net>
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