Re: Optimizing for what? Was Re: IETF Attendance by continent

[Dave CROCKER <[e-mail]>]

On 9/7/2010 5:41 PM, Ross Callon wrote:
>> It's my sense that it's increasingly difficult to do work in the IETF
>> without being physically present at meetings, as well...
>
> I think that this has been true since the first IETF (at least if you
> replace the word "increasingly" with the word "very").


Face-to-face is quite helpful for forming an effort, since it creates a
connection among the group, and it is quite helpful for resolving specific
problems.  That is, it is good for personal connection and rapid interaction.

For a group with real focus and a strong sense of purpose, face to face is /not/
all that important for general document development and revision, absent
particular points of impasse.

So the 'very' Ross cites has always been true, but in constrained ways.

Useful documents can be developed with /no/ face-to-face interactions.  Useless
documents are often developed with /primarily/ face-to-face interactions.
Neither mode has a guaranteed outcome.

IMO, the tendency to move more towards doing work in f2f meetings seems
primarily to indicate a lack of urgency, process management and/or technical
focus, rather than on an actual need.

d/

-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net