[AFS3-std] Re: IBM will not re-license OpenAFS .xg files

[Andrew Deason]

On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:04:14 -0700
Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu> wrote:

> Some IETF working groups delegate this work to a group secretary when
> the chair doesn't have time. If someone wanted to volunteer to
> maintain and communicate document state, I suspect the chairs would
> welcome that volunteer effort.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect someone to just volunteer to do
this when it's not indicated that this is a problem or would be
welcomed. (Not that I'm saying you 'expect' this.) SNA would have done
this at any time; I'm pretty sure Mike was/is going to do this as a
co-chair (assuming lack of objections etc).

> My broader point here is that these process problems that you perceive
> all come *directly* from a lack of time and resources. These are the
> kind of process problems that just don't happen in standards working
> groups where there are multiple people actively engaged, because
> people will constantly ping state or will just start taking over work
> that goes undone and driving it forward when other people run out of
> time.

No, this comes from people not spending time on it. Nothing you have
said indicates _why_ they do not do that. People just avoid working on
this, which I believe is partially proven by the amount of other
non-critical AFS work that gets done, or the amount of time people spend
on having these arguments when the inevitable periodic flurry of emails
shows up.

For the chairs specifically I can see that being more possible, but in
such a case I would hope that they would indicate they cannot keep up
with the pace, and solicit help, or resign, or whatever.

-- 
Andrew Deason
adeason@sinenomine.net