Re: The first issue (was : A sort of council of elders for the internet)

[Alessandro Vesely <[e-mail]>]

On Thu 14/Nov/2013 19:54:06 +0100 Brian E Carpenter wrote:
> On 15/11/2013 03:20, Moriarty, Kathleen wrote:
> ...
>> I don't think it's the IETF's place to provide a policy back to
>> companies on who to send or how many people can attend.  This is
>> a financial decision for many companies.  The cost of the trip
>> itself isn't the issue, but the person's time for the week may
>> be.
>
> I completely agree. On the other hand, we could have a prominent
> "equal opportunity" statement that would remind everybody, including
> employers, that we want diversity among our participants. (And think
> what fun we could have wordsmithing such a statement.)

Me too.  If improperly worded, Vegas-like ladies admission policies
might carry the risk of inadvertently putting in some "What Happens
Here Stays Here" slogan as well  ;-)

The other issue, involving small businesses, probably needs something
more substantial than a policy.  For a small business, the cost of the
trip can be weighty in and of itself, let alone the person's time,
e.g. [1].  Arrangements such as tax breaks or public subsidies are out
of IETF reach, AFAIK.  Could ISOC help here, maybe?

Ale

[1] Things that need discussion face to face?
http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/spfbis/current/msg01789.html