Re: The Next Generation

[Kyle Rose <[e-mail]>]

On Tue, Sep 3, 2019 at 9:24 PM Jared Mauch <[e-mail]> wrote:

> > On Sep 3, 2019, at 9:14 PM, Melinda Shore <[e-mail]>
> wrote:
> >
> > It's also been the case that some very capable new people have shown
> > up, looked at the organization, and decided to take their work
> > elsewhere.  We're also looking at why that happens, because those
> > people were potential future leaders, as well.
>
> I’ve often looked at this (and other industry locations) scratching my head
> going: why would any person who isn’t a masochist come here and try to do
> work.  I’ve observed people being chased away, both those that might be
> trolls,
> but also people who are just coming to ask a series of questions to expand
> their knowledge.
>

There are also people who are chased away because they float technical
ideas that are politically unpopular within the IETF. I will refrain from
citing specific examples, but I know of at least 3 people who stopped
participating because they perceived (whether accurately or not) that they
were being attacked personally. That I would contend is a much bigger issue
than a lack of diversity because it drives away good people who clearly
want to participate, but want to solve technical problems instead of
spending time navigating an ideological minefield or subjecting themselves
to insults, ridicule, or contempt.

We need to do a better job of giving real consideration to ideas that don't
align perfectly with a set of litmus tests or to conceptions of the ideal
(but unachievable) public internet. I would strongly argue that our first
duty is to solve technical problems, not societal ones: as a group, I don't
think we're particularly good at the latter; we greatly overestimate the
impact of protocol design on public policy; and frankly there are
organizations better positioned, staffed, and aligned to do those things.

Kyle