Restructuring the IETF standards process... for the benefit of all concerned.

[TSG <tglassey at earthlink.net>]

Richard -
Why should the IETF deny a standard to anyone who wanted to undertake 
the process to get one? My argument is that the IETF is community of 
members involved in standardizing network technologies and also the 
processes of that standardization.

I understand the necessity to make proper tools available and support 
the GNU project fully. But I don't believe that the Open Source model is 
the only model for building code on this planet. I believe that the FSF 
models are powerful and make sense for any number of efforts, but the 
IETF is about 'being Fair and Open to all.

The real question is one of global ownership and IP controls - and we 
MUST ask the simple questions as to whether it is the formal stance of 
FSF that the IETF should change so that its IP rules come into alignment 
with the FSF's policies? If so I want to point out that this is a 
policitcal shift and its something that would need to be codified by 
everyone - something that the IETF cannot possibly do at this point. 
That everyone by the way MUST also include all of the pre-existing 
work-products'a authors as well since their IP is directly constrained - 
and the Trust would have to change - in fact how about this - why don't 
we kill off the Trust and make the FSF the Trust itself.

As to the IETF - I propose simply that the IETF should issue standards 
to anyone who completes the process the IETF offers a contractual 
ability to participate in. That of course means any and everyone.

Todd Glassey