"I am a strong believer in the democratic process."

"Mike O'Dell" <mo@ccr.org> Sat, 23 June 2001 15:40 UTC

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Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 11:35:19 -0400
From: Mike O'Dell <mo@ccr.org>
Message-Id: <200106231535.LAA04331@ccr.org>
To: ietf@ietf.org
Subject: "I am a strong believer in the democratic process."
X-Loop: ietf@ietf.org

if so, you should stay far, far away from the IETF.

it is not "democratic", never has been and never should be

it is a meritocracy of a quite rude and abrasive sort
and that's neither an accident nor a bug

good ideas don't need the benefit of the doubt

if you have an idea but it isn't yet baked enough
to withstand a public proctological examination, keep working
on it in private, among yourselves, however you choose
to work, until it is baked and you can defend its
architecture and design.  

THEN you can ask for a working group.

working groups attempting to design a half-baked idea
not only don't get the benefit of the doubt, 
they shouldn't get the benefit of existance in the first place.

"We don't believe in kings, presidents, or voting.
 We believe in rough consensus and running code."
			-Dave Clark, Internet Architect

 "I know rough consensus when I feel it."
			-Anonymous IESG Area Director

So much for parlimentarianism.

	-mo
	ex-Anonymous IESG Area Director