Re: I-D Action: draft-hardie-iaoc-iab-update-00.txt

[Eliot Lear <[e-mail]>]

Scott,

We are going to disagree on this, I'm afraid.

On 2/6/16 10:17 PM, Scott O. Bradner wrote:
> from this IAOC member’s point of view  - maybe distorted by the specific issues the IAOC has been dealing with of late
>
>> On Feb 6, 2016, at 3:47 PM, Michael StJohns <[e-mail]> wrote:
>>
>>
>> WRT the incomplete argument I'd ask the current (and past members) of the IAOC to comment on the following questions (to paraphrase Leslie's note quite a bit):
>>
>>    Are there specific benefits to the IAOC to having the IAB chair continue as a member of the IAOC that would not be met if he/she were replaced by another member of the IAB?
> yes, a major (but not majority) topic in the last year has been about internet governance and what impacts the changes
> in IANA management might have on the IETF and on the IETF Trust - it seems that, at least for the last two IAB chairs, the
> IAB chair has been the IAB point person on these topics and the chair’s direct knowledge of what has been going on has
> been quite helpful

Maybe (and I stress *maybe)* to the IAOC- *not* to the IAB nor to the
chair.  And this is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If the chair is
required to sit on the IAOC the concentration of responsibility by
definition makes him the go to person for a LOT of things, and not just
IANA.  Moreover, it's not like the IAOC is barred from inviting *anyone*
to talk with them at their meetings.

>
> having the IAB chair on the IAOC might not make much difference in other topics, such as the specifics of the RFC editor task set, or
> meeting locations, if another IAB member with knowledge of the topics were to replace the chair

And this is the point: on any given topic someone else might be more
expert.  Take for instance the RFC series.  There are two people who are
probably better equipped to speak on that matter right now than the
chair himself (no offense to Andrew).  Joe Hildebrand oversees the RSOC
program.  The IAOC would be foolish not to speak to him about the RFC
Editor in terms of their responsibilities in that regard.


> there is a image factor - that the IAB considers the IAOC important enough to ensure that the IAOC role is part of the chair’s
> task set projects a somewhat different image than having another IAB member - not a huge issue but a factor

Would it help the image of the IAOC if they ended up in a situation
where they had an absentee chair because his time didn't permit him to
participate in the IAOC in any active way?   I'm not saying that
happened while I was on the IAB, but it could and my understanding is
that it HAS happened on the IAOC with other groups.  At that point,
short of replacing the chair, neither the IAB nor the IAOC would be in a
position to correct the situation.  And the IAB is not likely to replace
a chair for such reasons (a) due to inertia and (b) taking into account
what that person's priorities were on behalf of the board.

Finally there is the matter of good governance.  Bodies should be
allowed to choose for themselves who they have represent them at other
bodies.  That provides them the flexibility to take advantage of the
time and skills of each individual who is serving.  That, by the way,
makes the chair job *more* attractive.  Otherwise the time commitment
requirements become a serious concern.

Eliot