The name POISSON
The tricky part of describing the IETF process, certainly in the fast changing world of the Internet, is that when you describe the process in too much detail, the IETF loses its flexibility, when you describe to little it becomes unmanageable. This is therefore a slippery subject, hence the name POISSON, which is French for fish. The French word also serves to indicate the international aspect of the WG.
Furthermore the IETF operates by concensus, which sometimes seems to have a POISSON distribution.
The POISSON WG will work on the following items:
- WG and Area procedures; This is to become a BCP document that describes the procedures that the IETF has for WG formation and operation, and for Area Directors. This is an essential formalisation and update of RFC1603. The document should additionally include issues like:
- WG editor definition
- WG chair (de)selection
- WG ethics
Proposed editors: Scott Bradner and Erik Huizer
- Standards process; The standards process document as produced by Poised95 is not yet complete. The document needs to be updated with specific regard to the standards document structure categorization and publication.
Proposed editor: Scott Bradner
- Nomcom procedures; The Nomcom procedures document as produced by Poised95 may need updating as a result of nomcom experience early 1997. If this is the case, the POISSON WG will take it upon itself to update the document. If not the POISSON WG will not work on this.
Proposed editor: Jim Galvin
- Code of conduct; based on the Internet-draft: draft-odell-code-of-conduct-00.txt the POISSON WG will produce a code of conduct for the IETF.
Proposed editor: Mike O'Dell
Furthermore, the POISSON WG will review documents that are related to the IETF standards process (but that will not be produced by the POISSON WG itself) when available. Such documents may include:
- IETF Charter; This needs to be written by the IETF chair. It is essentially a short mission statement like document that contains references to other Poised documents for further details.
- IESG Charter; This document will be written by the IESG.
- IAB Charter; The IAB needs to revise its charter (RFC1601).
- ISOC Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation; These need to be published as RFC(s).
- The IRTF charter.
POISSON will meet in San Jose and Memphis to try and gauge a rough consensus on these issues and develop guidelines and drafts for the appropriate documents.