Re: Diversity of candidates was Re: NomCom 2020 Announcement of Selections

[Michael StJohns <[e-mail]>]

On 1/25/2021 5:06 PM, Andrew Sullivan wrote:

>> I suggested your participation as the person who selects the Nomcom 
>> chair, not for any desire to have the ISOC be funding AD and IAB 
>> positions.
>
> I see.  I think it would be inappropriate for the person who selects 
> the nomcom chair to be involved in activities that attempt to adjust 
> what the nomcom evaluates, because it might appear to be an attempt to 
> put a finger on the scale.  So I think it would not be advisable for 
> me to be involved in this activity.
>

I don't actually see why it would be inappropriate.  What we're trying 
to do is affect the input of the set of IETF participants which will 
eventually - say in 3-5 years - affect the input set of WG chairs and 
authors - which will eventually - say in another 3-5 years affect the 
input set of candidates for the Nomcom.   I would say that you'd have to 
weigh a lot more than you do now to be able to put a finger on the 
scales  and affect something 6-10 years out in a manner that's not in 
the noise.

Another point is that the IETF is more about getting good technical 
stuff out, whereas the ISOC is all about "... promot[ing] the open 
development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all 
people throughout the world".  Those have some points of intersection, 
but as has been pointed out - the IETF tends to be a bit parochial.  
Having the ISOC involved in supporting an IETF diversification effort 
seems like a no brainer.

But it may be the case you're the wrong position at ISOC to be involved 
and that someone else might be a better choice - worth a discussion.

Later, Mike