Re: Questions To Answer

[jg pa dec com (Jim Gettys)]

I believe legally, the IETF doesn't exist...  Interesting state for an
influential organization.

The Internet society CANNOT tell the IETF what to do, as I understand it.

But the Internet society does provide air cover for IETF activities (e.g.
legal insurance for IAB and IESG members).  The Internet society can't
turn out the IAB or IESG.  In fact, the Internet Society was formed when
the people in the IETF realized that they had to deal with legal protection
for people working in the IETF.

A good person to get a brain-dump about how the IETF works and how it might
be applicable to the Gnome situation is Scott Bradner at Harvard (among
others, but Scott is the person I would call).  I could make a call
to Scott to see if we could engage him in this discussion, if people think
it worth while.

I think people would say the IETF has power, but it is via moral suasion 
and consent of the governed.  Anything less than that isn't going to work 
for the Gnome case.  It is similar enough to the situation with Gnome that
it is worth looking there closely for possible solutions.

				- Jim

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