Detrimental effect of IETF Mandates
Over the past fifty years, participants in what began as the DARPA internet community have been turning out diverse technical specifications for TCP/IP network architectures and services. The first twenty years under government agency sponsorship were marked by rather free-wheeling sharing of ideas and collegial accommodation of divergent views typically found in most professional, academic activities. The work was eventually institutionalized in the form of what are now two venerable legacy bodies — the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is overseen by an Internet Architecture Board (IAB).
However, during the past twenty years, the encouragement of divergent views and culture of accommodation began to disappear through the adoption of mandates that often expressed divisive socio-political views. A kind of self-similar set of perspectives became embedded through a set of pronouncements that began to dictate what work would ensue and what specifications would be developed and what would be shunned. Those involved believed they had a right to decide and dictate through technical specifications, the capabilities available in the global internet marketplace. Anyone who disagreed was encouraged to go elsewhere, and controls were attempted over work in other venues.
This trend of increasing intolerance is not a good one for the internet community, including the venerable institutions involved, especially during a period of rapid industry and technology change. The behavior is being manifested again through the pursuit of a new draft document entitled "The Internet is for End Users” with prominent acknowledgment given to Edward Snowden as inspiration.
The Internet is for End Users draft document
The drafting of this document began a year ago. It b ..
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