The IETF's problems

[Iljitsch van Beijnum]

On vrijdag, jul 18, 2003, at 20:35 Europe/Amsterdam, Keith Moore wrote:

>>  But when even large vendors are unable to get protocols that
>> they feel is important (and have implemented or are implementing)
>> "through" IETF, there is a problem.

> Let's get this straight right now.

Yes, let's. Because whichever party is suffering from the misconception 
here, the result is the same: some people are unhappy with what the 
IETF does because their expectations don't match reality.

> IETF DOES NOT exist to do what large vendors what to do.

I was talking about working on protocols, which isn't the same as "do 
what large vendors want to do". If people in general and large vendors 
in particular come to the IETF wanting to work on something within the 
IETF, and this work falls within the areas of interest of the IETF, 
then it would be a very good idea that the IETF indeed work on this. 
Obviously in some cases the work will be abandoned if the IETF doesn't 
adopt it, which must be the result "the IETF" is after in these cases. 
More often, the work will continue but the resulting protocol will be 
of a lower quality, and if the protocol is even a little successful, 
the IETF has to do something with it later anyway. Also, if the 
protocol is subjected to the IETF editor it goes through the IESG 
anyway, so not working on something often doesn't even save the IESG 
any work. Whether it saves working groups work is immaterial as just 
about everything that happens in a working group is done on a voluntary 
basis.

Last but not least, frustrating people that come to the IETF damages 
the reputation of the IETF and will drive people away in frustration. 
This is already happening. (Again, this includes large vendors and not 
just "hobbyist protocol designers".)

> And large vendors are not reliable indicators of what is good for the
> Internet.

Like _anyone_ can predict what is going to be good for the internet 
anyway. Large vendors are reasonable indicators of what is wanted in 
the internet and what's going to happen in the internet, though. 
They're implementing the stuff most boxes connected to the net will be 
running a couple of years from now.