Value of meeting attendance (was Re: [Recentattendees] Background on Singapore go/no go for IETF 100)

[Melinda Shore <[e-mail]>]

On 5/27/16 9:46 AM, Michael StJohns wrote:
> I would expect that we as an organization will continue to meet in
> person for probably the life of the organization.  We as humans are a
> social species, and, even with all the sturm und drang that's been on
> the various mailing list with respect to the meeting venue topics - at
> the end we will find more benefit than not to meet in person.

I think so, as well, but that doesn't mean that we can't
work to de-emphasize physical meetings - the choices aren't
between maintaining the status quo on the one hand or
completely eliminating meetings on the other.  (I know
you believe this as well this but it wasn't brought out in
what you wrote).

My own experience has been that it is possible to maintain
a good working relationship with the organization and to move
work along even while attending meetings sporadically, but it
does take some initiative on your own part, an understanding
of who to contact and how to contact them about various pieces
of work, and some sensitivity to remote participation issues
on the part of working group chairs.  Unfortunately the second
issue (an understanding of how to keep work rolling) does take
a bit of IETF experience to develop.

Melinda