IP: "Ratification" - the IFWP Emperor has no Clothes

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

The following is sent WITH permission. For those of you who don't know Mike, no one would ever characterize him as a 
flamer or a radical. It is worth reading and thinking about.


Dave


From: Mike Roberts <roberts () ivory educom edu>
Subject: "Ratification" - the IFWP Emperor has no Clothes (fwd)
To: farber () cis upenn edu
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 17:40:35 -0400 (EDT)


Forwarded message:
From: Mike Roberts <roberts () ivory educom edu>
Subject: "Ratification" - the IFWP Emperor has no Clothes
To: ifwp-discuss () itu int
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 15:06:21 -0400 (EDT)
Sender: owner-ifwp-discuss () itu int


I'm appalled at the convoluted and narcissistic thinking behind
the so-called "ratification" meeting.  Let's review the bidding, 
shall we?


- we'll hold the meeting immediately after the yet-to-be-confirmed
final-negotiating meeting of the yet-to-be-determined number of 
important White Paper stakeholders that we have 100% conviction
will lead to an accepted legal structure for the new IANA corp.


- even though the cumulative probability of the previous item
is in the range of 30%, we'll find some gullible soul with 
a high limit credit card to start signing financial
commitments for the meeting even though we haven't come close
to paying our bills for previous events


- the close conjunction of the ratification meeting with the 
final negotiating meeting is so tight that no one outside
walking or driving distance of the site will attend on less
than a full fare airline ticket and a full fare at a fully
booked hotel.  This is designed to ensure an open and 
inclusive participation in the meeting.


- also designed to ensure the broadest participation of
all concerned Internet citizens, we will arrange for a 
electronic vote on the final document, using a system
whose features are unknown to essentially all of the 
proposed participants.  In the interests of time, we
will forego any attempt at verification of the votes
with actual living humans and we will not be overly 
concerned if the agreed upon final document is neither
sanctioned by  governing boards of the parties to it
in time for the vote, nor that the vote commences before
it is even posted.


- in view of the fact that the hosts of the negotiating
session and several of the known major players have firmly
rejected the notion that the agreed upon document is 
actually open to revision by the Internet community
at the ratification meeting, we will arrange for 
moderators to paper over any dissents that emerge.
The Chair of the meeting will call for a voice vote
and declare that he/she hears more ayes than nays,
thus sanctioning the decision reached before the 
meeting.


Thanks but no thanks.  My organization will have nothing
to do with such an unrepresentaive, undemocratic,
uninclusive gathering.


- Mike Roberts
  EDUCAUSE