Re: Fwd: Can the USA welcome IETF (was: Last Call under RFC 3683 concerning Dean Anderson (reissued))

[Sandy Wills <[e-mail]>]

Dean Anderson wrote:
> For the time being, I am withholding release of my response pending advice of my
> attorney.

    As I see it, there are some simple requirements for "joining" the 
IETF.  You must be human, or at least a convincing facsimile when using 
email.  As far as I can tell, Dean meets this rule.

    However, to provide any useful help to the IETF, there are some more 
difficult requirements.  You must be able to accept email in English, 
and any output must be comprehensible to others who read English.  It 
seems to me that Dean meets this minimum, also.

    Last, however, in order to _remain_ in the IETF, you have to have a 
personality that accepts that you aren't always right, and that others 
may occasionally wish to discuss things that aren't your first priority. 
  In other words, you have to be able to allow others to carry on their 
conversations and work without hindrance.  You don't have to help, but 
you DO have to let others work.  It seems to me that Dean fails this 
"cooperative spirit" test.  I.E., he is unwilling to accept that he 
won't always be the center of attention, and won't always get his way.
    This is not a court.  This is not a legal jurisdiction, trying to 
execute him or put him in jail for some crime.  This is simply a 
volunteer organization that is wondering if Dean is so disruptive that 
it should ban him from the organization.
    All of us have the "right" to be here - Dean can still "lurk", if 
the PR-Action goes against him.  We don't, however, have the "right" to 
be disruptive.  The IETF, on the other hand, like any organism, has the 
"right" to defend itself from attack.  And, there is a PR-Action in 
progress because a particular volunteer's actions can reasonably be 
interpreted as an attack on the IETF.  We _volunteered_ to be here, and 
most of us either want to help, or selfishly use the IETF for our own 
education (personally, I'm in both groups).  And, if the group arrives 
at a consensus that any particular volunteer is more trouble than he's 
worth, then the IETF will decline to accept that volunteer's input in 
the future.  I think that offering to call in lawyers is just more 
demonstration that Dean will never be willing to let others work without 
interference.

    IESG, please add the referenced "threat to call in lawyers" message 
to the PR-action case against Dean Anderson.

    Dean, there's a simple solution to your needs.  Simply register the 
domain "DeanAndersonIsWonderfulAndAlwaysRight.org", and start your own 
fan club.  You'll get to write the charter and bylaws, and you can put 
in them whatever clauses you want, like "Dean always has the floor", 
"Whatever Dean wants to talk about is, by definition here, the proper 
subject of discussion", and "Dean is always right".  You'll be happy 
talking to yourself and never being disagreed with or asked to shut up 
or get back on the subject at hand, and the IETF can get back to it's 
business of documenting and improving the 'net.

-- 
Unable to locate coffee.
Operator halted.


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