Re: [Diversity] Participation in active IETF work (was: Interim step on meetings site feedback for sites currently under active consideration)

[Vinayak Hegde <[e-mail]>]

Replies inline
On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 2:01 AM, SM <[e-mail]> wrote:
> Hi Vinayak,
> At 12:05 19-04-2016, Vinayak Hegde wrote:
>>
>> Yes & No. YMMV everyone is different. Some people are very happy
>> contributing remotely and physical meetings might not matter as much
>> to them. But this subset is small. I would guess for most people a
>> physical meeting still helps a lot. On the other end of the spectrum
>> there might be people who have come multiple times and have not
>> contributed much or are not as active.
>>
>> I think it is getting easier to contribute (for someone who wants to),
>> thanks to meetecho, remote presentations, wider diversity of meeting
>> venues (due to 1:1:1:1*) and various trainings and mentoring that is
>> available now. But all said and done IMHO, being at a meeting still is
>> a quite different experience (due to physical presence, bumping into
>> people - serendipity, focus and facetime)
>
> I read your answer as meaning that non-participation from developing
> countries (or non-participation from people who do not work for large
> companies) does not affect IETF work.

Nope I am arguing the opposite. But I am saying it is becoming easier
to contribute remotely (if you have attended a few meetings or sometimes
even if you haven't).

> A meeting in, for example, Europe, allows a participant in Europe to present
> his/her draft.  I don't know whether that (type of) participant sees remote
> presentation facilities (meetecho) as a workable alternative.  I could not
> find any first-hand information about Africa, Asia or South America.  Please
> comment if you are residing in any of those regions and you tried to attend
> an IETF meeting to present a draft.

Yes. I reside in India (Asia). Attending a meeting does help you present and
progress your draft. In Yokohama - IETF 94, I tried presenting remotely and the
experience was unexpectedly good.

Yes. Attending meeting is always preferable and funding is a challenge.

> I agree that for most people, attending a meeting in person helps a lot.
> There is the funding problem which affects people from developing countries.
> If, for example, we compare this with the ITU, national governments provide
> funding to attend ITU meetings.

Yeah.

-- Vinayak