Re: Membership and voting and consensus... (Re: Membership)

[jg pa dec com (Jim Gettys)]

In the IETF, the membership never votes on anything...  At most, there
are straw polls to see if it appears there is rough consensus of a meeting.

There are a number of bodies which vote, and there are appeals processes 
in case someone wishes to dispute that "rough concensus" has been achieved.

And yes, the number of clueless people in IETF outnumber the cluefull by
maybe 5-10 to one.  Nonetheless, it has a mechanism to put cluefull people
in the places that matters...  And why votes are a "bad thing"...

You can't even define  is not a member, other than saying anyone who has
posted to a mailing list or attended a meeting IS a member.

This is why I think as a model the IETF has alot to offer.
					- Jim


--
Jim Gettys
Technology and Corporate Development
Compaq Computer Corporation
jg@pa.dec.com