Re: Specific Questions about Registration details for IETF 108

[Carsten Bormann <[e-mail]>]

On 2020-06-08, at 21:11, John C Klensin <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
>> FWIW I think the principle went beyond just observation.  I
>> remember Phil Gross saying, when he was IETF Chair, that the
>> IETF didn't check badges at meeting room doors since it was
>> more important to have good technical contribution than to
>> block those who couldn't pay.  Of course, this didn't mean
>> allowing anonymous contributions or that those that payed
>> weren't subsidizing those who didn't.
> 
> We of course blew that principle off when we had a few meetings
> in which where badge checks at meeting room doors and we tried
> experiments about badge readers at microphones.  And, IIR, we
> instituted the former with a lot less discussion and fuss than
> the current changes have caused. 

Badge readers always were optional (I never managed to properly operate one).

Badge checks were a one-time thing needed for a meeting in a country that made this a prerequisite for Internet access.  I think we accepted that regression as the one-time thing it was because Internet access is something very unusual in that country and we were very happy to be able to meet there.

No, we did not “blow that principle off”.

Grüße, Carsten