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IETF Guidelines for Conduct
draft-moonesamy-ietf-conduct-3184bis-02

The information below is for an old version of the document.
Document Type
This is an older version of an Internet-Draft that was ultimately published as RFC 7154.
Author S Moonesamy
Last updated 2013-10-01 (Latest revision 2013-09-18)
RFC stream Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
Formats
Reviews
Additional resources
Stream WG state Submitted to IESG for Publication
Document shepherd (None)
IESG IESG state Became RFC 7154 (Best Current Practice)
Consensus boilerplate Unknown
Telechat date (None)
Responsible AD Jari Arkko
Send notices to sm+ietf@elandsys.com, draft-moonesamy-ietf-conduct-3184bis@tools.ietf.org
draft-moonesamy-ietf-conduct-3184bis-02
INTERNET-DRAFT                                         S. Moonesamy, Ed.
Obsoletes: 3184 (if approved)                                           
Intended Status: Best Current Practice                                  
Expires: March 22, 2014                               September 18, 2013

                      IETF Guidelines for Conduct
                draft-moonesamy-ietf-conduct-3184bis-02

Abstract

   This document provides a set of guidelines for personal interaction
   in the Internet Engineering Task Force.  The Guidelines recognize the
   diversity of IETF participants, emphasize the value of mutual
   respect, and stress the broad applicability of our work.

Status of this Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups.  Note that
   other groups may also distribute working documents as
   Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months
   and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any
   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   The list of current Internet-Drafts can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/1id-abstracts.html

   The list of Internet-Draft Shadow Directories can be accessed at
   http://www.ietf.org/shadow.html

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2013 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors. All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
   Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
   publication of this document. Please review these documents
   carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
   to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must
 

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   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

   This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF
   Contributions published or made publicly available before November
   10, 2008.  The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this
   material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow
   modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process. 
   Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling
   the copyright in such materials,this document may not be modified
   outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may
   not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format
   it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other
   than English.

1. Introduction

   The work of the IETF relies on collaboration among a diverse range of
   people, ideas, and communication styles.  The Guidelines for Conduct
   inform our interaction as we work together to develop interoperable
   technologies for the Internet.  All IETF participants aim to abide by
   these Guidelines as we build consensus in person and through email
   discussions.  If conflicts arise they are resolved according to the
   procedures outlined in RFC 2026 [RFC2026].

2. Principles of Conduct

   1. IETF participants extend respect and courtesy to their colleagues
      at all times.

      IETF participants come from diverse origins and backgrounds and
      are equipped with multiple capabilities and ideals.  Regardless of
      these individual differences, participants treat their colleagues
      with respect as persons especially when it is difficult to agree
      with them.  Seeing from another's point of view is often revealing
      even when it fails to be compelling.

      English is the de facto language of the IETF.  However, it is not
      the native language of many IETF participants.  All participants,
      particularly those with English as a first language, attempt to
      accommodate the needs of other participants by communicating
      clearly.  When faced with English that is difficult to understand
      IETF participants make a sincere effort to understand each other
      and engage in conversation to clarify what was meant.

   2. IETF participants discuss ideas impersonally without finding fault
      with the person proposing the idea.
 

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      We dispute ideas by using reasoned argument rather than through
      intimidation or personal attack.  Or, to say it differently:

         Cool off, take the intensity out of the discussion and try to
         provide data and facts for your standpoints so the rest of the
         participants who are sitting on the sidelines watching the
         fireworks can form an opinion [SQPA].

   3. IETF participants devise solutions for the Internet that meet the
         needs of diverse technical and operational environments.

         The goal of the IETF is to maintain and enhance a working,
         viable, scalable, global Internet, and the problems we
         encounter are genuinely very difficult.  We understand that
         "scaling is the ultimate problem" and that many ideas quite
         workable in the small fail this crucial test.

         IETF participants use their best engineering judgment to find
         the best solution for the whole Internet, not just the best
         solution for any particular network, technology, vendor, or
         user.  While we all have ideas that may stand improvement from
         time to time, no one shall ever knowingly contribute advice or
         text that would make a standard technically inferior.

   4. Individuals are prepared to contribute to the ongoing work of the
         group.

         IETF participants read the relevant Internet-Drafts, RFCs, and
         email archives beforehand, in order to familiarize themselves
         with the technology under discussion.  This may represent a
         challenge when attending a new working group without knowing
         the history of longstanding Working Group debates.  Information
         about a working group including its charter and milestones is
         available on the IETF Tools web site [TOOLS] or from the
         working group chair.

3. Security Considerations

   Guidelines about IETF conduct do not affect the security of the
   Internet in any way.

4. Acknowledgements

   Most of the text in this document is based on RFC 3184 which was
   written by Susan Harris.  The author would like to acknowledge that
   this document would not exist without her contribution.  Mike O'Dell
   wrote the first draft of the Guidelines for Conduct, and many of his
   thoughts, statements, and observations are included in this version. 
 

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   Many useful editorial comments were supplied by Dave Crocker. 
   Members of the POISSON Working Group provided many significant
   additions to the text.

   The author would like to thank Jari Arkko, Dave Crocker, Spencer
   Dawkins, Lars Eggert, Adrian Farrel, Stephen Farrell, Eliot Lear,
   Barry Leiba, Eduardo A. Suarez and Brian Trammell for contributing
   towards the improvement of the document.

5. IANA Considerations

   [RFC Editor: please remove this section]

6. References

6.1.  Informative References

   [RFC2026]  Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision
              3", BCP 9, RFC 2026, October 1996.

   [TOOLS]    <http://tools.ietf.org/wg/>

   [SQPA]     <http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/53/slides/plenary-
              3/index.html>

Appendix A: Reporting transgressions of the guidelines

   An individual can report transgressions of the guidelines for conduct
   to the IETF Chair or the IESG.

Appendix B: Consequences of transgressing the guidelines

   This document does not discuss about measures that can be taken
   against a participant transgressing the guidelines for conduct.

   RFC 2418 describes a measure where a Working Group Chair has the
   authority to refuse to grant the floor to any individual who is
   unprepared or otherwise covering inappropriate material, or who, in
   the opinion of the Chair is disrupting the Working Group process.

   RFC 3683 describes "posting rights" action to remove the posting
   rights of an individual. RFC 3934 describes a measure where a Working
   Group Chair can suspend posting privileges of a disruptive individual
   for a short period of time.

Appendix C: Changes from RFC 3184

   o  The text about intellectual property guidelines was removed as it
 

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S. Moonesamy          IETF Guidelines for Conduct     September 18, 2013

      relates to intellectual property instead of guidelines for
      conduct.

   o  The recommendation that newcomers should not interfere with the
      ongoing process in Section 2 was removed as it can be read as
      discouraging newcomers from participating in discussions.

   o  The text about "think globally" was not removed as the meaning was
      not clear.

   o  The text about language was clarified.

7. Author's Address

   S. Moonesamy (editor)
   76, Ylang Ylang Avenue
   Quatres Bornes
   Mauritius

   Email: sm+ietf@elandsys.com

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