Re: IETF privacy policy - update

[Fred Baker <[e-mail]>]

On Jul 8, 2010, at 12:32 PM, Melinda Shore wrote:

> On Jul 8, 2010, at 11:25 AM, Fred Baker wrote:
>> Walking into an ITU meeting, I have to show a passport and have a permanent photographic record taken. If I want to participate in RIPE's general meeting, I have to register, and I can expect to find myself in RIPE's attendee list. That is true in a wide variety of places.
> 
> I think there's actually a slightly different question in there. Those are not open organizations. The IETF is.

Boy, would they dispute that. ITU has claimed that the IETF is not an open organization because a government cannot join it. Most membership organizations, RIPE, being an example, have a definition of how someone can become a member (members of RIPE are companies and pay a fee), and are considered open to that class of membership.

> I think that there might be a question about what "open participation" means and whether or not there's an expectation that participants will identify themselves, and if so, what the expectations are around the identity being presented.  

That is of course true. I think my comment stands. If the IETF is not the only organization in the world in which otherwise rational people expect to pay money for privileges, make material contributions that might change the world, and might have companies off suing each other over IPR, and none-the-less expect to remain absolutely anonymous, it is one of a very small number.