Re: IAOC requesting input on (potential) meeting cities

[tom p. <[e-mail]>]

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 3:42 PM

On 3/31/17 9:18 AM, IAOC Chair wrote:
> The IAOC remains committed to soliciting input on future IETF meeting
locations. With this mail, we are soliciting input on some potential
IETF locations, including one where we have met before, but for which
conditions may have changed.
>
> Specifically, we seek community input on reasons we could not have a
successful meeting in any of the following cities, or of any limits to
attendee accessibility or inclusiveness that should be considered:
>
> Ottawa
> San Francisco
> Austin, TX
> Barcelona
> Boston
> Busan
> Calgary
> Denver
> Helsinki
> Houston
> New Orleans
> Osaka
> Philadelphia
> Washington DC

I apologize for not following the form in the subject line, but in my
view, there is sufficient uncertainty about ability of people to gain
entry to the United States that we should not be planning meetings in
this country.  Over the last few weeks we have seen people with valid
visas turned away at the border or otherwise detained, sometimes for
days, without any cause being given.  We have people in our community
who could not get a visa in time for the Chicago meeting.  With the vote
by the European Parliament requiring Americans to have visas to enter
into EU countries, it is likely we will see a further degradation of the
situation, such as suspension of the VWP, thus bringing further
uncertainty to new and more common classes of individuals.

That translates into concerns over San Francisco, Austin, Boston,
Denver, Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.  I would
prefer, therefore, as alternatives, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal,
Quebec City, and Vancouver.

<tp>

Knee-jerk reaction, was my thought on reading the IAOC post.

What I read in the press last January was that the USA wanted to
introduce a three month restriction while working out how best to keep
its citizens safe in the longer term, and that the initial restrictions
have already been relaxed and - I believe - subject to legal challenge.

I realise that IAOC is looking years ahead but do think that we should
at least wait until those three months are up.

In response to Eliot, as a citizen of Europe, I have had a harder time
getting into Canada to work than even I have into the USA so I place any
USA locality (except Hawaii - wrong side of the world) above any in
Canada.

Tom Petch

Eliot