[CCWG-ACCT] Our timetable -- some personal observations

[Andrew Sullivan]

Hi,

Before saying anything, let me be very clear that I do not represent
the protocol community, or speak for it, or have any implicit or
explicit authority to take a position on behalf of the IETF or the IAB
or anyone else.  Below is just my personal opinion.  I also do not
want to be understood as trying to "put pressure" on the CCWG:
consensus-based systems work only if the communities involved can
reach consensus.  We must always be prepared that such a
decision-making approach can result in failure.  That's ok; the
possibility of failure focusses the mind, and something that can't
attract broad support might be a bad idea anyway.

Now,

On Wed, Dec 16, 2015 at 04:57:58PM +1300, Jordan Carter wrote:
> 
> - pressure from the numbering and protocols communities, who want this done
> and dusted and wish the transition had already been done.

I think that Jordan is exactly right here.  In my view, this isn't the
other communities wishing to apply pressure.  Instead, I think, it's
that we have other things we need to do.  For the IETF, I have to say,
the transition has been an enormous and costly distraction.  My
colleagues and I have only so much time to devote to IETF activities,
because we all have day jobs.  My employer, when agreeing to me taking
the IAB chair, was assuming a 50% FTE estimate; instead, many weeks it
has been rather more than 100%.  I know others who are in the same boat.

When you look at it from that perspective, if the names community
can't come up with acceptable accountability measures in more than a
year, there is little reason to believe it will ever happen.  I
believe that this CCWG has made enormous progress, and I think it has
come up with a good and strong proposal.  But if the names community
cannot come together behind the proposal (or perhaps something
adjusted in light of the board's suggestions -- I refuse to take a
position in this message on the right course of action), I will not be
surprised to hear people in the names and numbers community saying
that no solution will ever come about and that we should give up.  I
think this would have serious implications for the IANA system and for
ICANN's legitimacy; and I hope people are keeping that in mind.  We
don't get to go back to the way things were, regardless of what
happens.

Best regards,

A

-- 
Andrew Sullivan
ajs at anvilwalrusden.com