Re: [ifwp] Re: Postel's view of Internet users

[Michael Dillon <michael@memra.com>]

On Wed, 5 Aug 1998, Patrick Greenwell wrote:

> No one is attempting to suppress them Michael. The problem is that people
> such as yourself are attempting to offer such proposals some sort of
> elevated status over the proposals of others. 

In a war, if one guy sticks his head out of a foxhole, he gets shot at. In
peacetime if one city erects a building taller than any other, the other
cities start to work erecting one that is even taller. Is this war or
peacetime?

Postel's proposal has elevated status because he stuck his neck out and
presented it publicly even though it was only a draft document. He
certainly has my respect for doing so even though I don't like some things
in it and I don't like the fact that some of my suggestions to him were
ignored. But he is willing to draft this document in public and for that
he earns my respect. Of course, I've already started to nibble away at his
structure in the proposal which I presented for User and Commercial
Councils and I hope to strike a few more blows at it and other proposals
that are put forward. But I'll strike my blows with ideas that can build
a better structure.

> > He is under no obligation to explain
> > why he did not incorporate some points of consensus in a manner which you
> > can clearly understand. 
> 
> He is under no obligation? He wants his draft by-laws to be taken
> seriously, don't you think? Wouldn't that incur some obligation if we are
> obstensibly operating in an open, transparent and representitive fashion?

No it would not incur an obligation. Postel is not special, he has no
greater obligations than you or I in this process. When I write something,
I say what I think is important at that time and ignore the rest,
confident that if I have made a mistake or left something out, then it
will be called to my attention. If I have been unclear, someone will ask a
question, as you did, and the matter can be clarified. Everything
evolves, nothing is frozen.

--
Michael Dillon                 -               Internet & ISP Consulting
Memra Communications Inc.      -               E-mail: michael@memra.com
Check the website for my Internet World articles -  http://www.memra.com