"Stephen" == Stephen Burley <stephenb@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.