>>>>> "Stephen" == Stephen Burley <stephenb(a)uk.uu.net> writes:
Stephen> I would just like to remind all that the more RIPE/NCC
Stephen> get diversified in their focus, the less gets done in the
Stephen> areas that realy matter to us. I am not disagreeing with
Stephen> the outline i just feel we need to evaluate how much of
Stephen> what is discussed at the meetings is IP relavent.
What you say is reasonable, but I think you are working from a false
assumption. It's the job of the RIPE Working Groups to, well, work on
the stuff that interests them. NCC staff might contribute to those
efforts, presumably if this is OK with the NCC management and the
stuff done for the WG doesn't affect their day-to-day workload in
their real jobs. It certainly should not be assumed that RIPE NCC
would stop doing the excellent job they do on the stuff that matters
to all RIPE members, just to satisfy the whims of a WG. [I exaggerate
for effect.] The WGs do not have any input to the policy and business
decisions made by the RIPE NCC board and management. Unless WG members
happen to be board members too, obviously...
In my limited experience, RIPE NCC staff just provide the things that
help to make the DNS WG happen: arranging venues, organising the
meeting space, providing net connectivity, giving the odd presentation
and so on. Speaking as one of the DNS WG chairs, I don't expect the
RIPE NCC staff to do much more than that for the WG. Though if the
likes of Olaf or Daniel volunteer tools and resources, I'd be
delighted to accept their help just as I'd take contributions to the
WG from whoever provided them. It's really up to the people who come
to the WG and are active in the mailing list to make the Working Group
work, not the NCC staff.
Stephen> We can not complain at the NCC about high wait times on
Stephen> requests if we the community are distracting the NCC with
Stephen> none core function projects and fact finding.
If you have any specific examples of this, you should take it up with
the RIPE NCC Management and the WG Chairs who have created that extra
load on the people at RIPE NCC. I would hope that if this has
happened, the NCC staff would already have made that known to the NCC
management.
