Subject: [69ATTENDEES] Networking at IETF meetings

From: Radia Perlman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:25:06 -0700

One of the most valuable parts of an IETF
meeting is meeting people you don't already know. Lunches and
dinners are great opportunities for this.
I notice, though,
that there are a lot of shy people that either wind up eating alone,
or with their colleagues.

Some dinner groups actually want to be exclusive, because they are
specifically there to talk about some arcane thing. But a lot of
groups are happy to include others.

I'd suggest that in future IETFs there be a canonical meeting place
for groups of people that are happy to include other people, and
that it be clear that if you see a group of IETF types hanging around
that spot at approximately mealtimes, it is explicitly encouraged for
people to wander up to groups and say "can I join you for dinner?"

Snooty groups would be encouraged to gather someplace else.

Radia

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From: Andy Bierman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 19:58:09 -0700

> people to wander up to groups and say "can I join you for dinner?"

Since Prague, where the price of beer outside the hotel was 5X cheaper
than inside the hotel, people seem to hang out less in the hotel bar.

> Snooty groups would be encouraged to gather someplace else.

Not that I am volunteering to help, but...
It seems to me the veteran people have plenty of planned social events,
such as the WG Chairs Beer Night (my favorite :-).  There should be
a Monday night Newbies social event.

> Radia

Andy

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From: Stephen Farrell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 04:04:32 +0100

As anti-social as I am (in absolute terms, relatively
gregarious in IETF-terms:-), I think that Radia's is
a great idea.

Some of the best IETF evenings I've enjoyed have involved
outrageously silly misunderstandings of some random person's
opinions (incl. mine:-) - almost all of which have been far
better than any $8 welcome-reception beer.

I'd tweak Radia's suggestion to start from a booze-place from
which expeditions to food could be launched, but basically an
unabmiguous yes to willful dinner mingling at IETFs...

(...so long as each diner is happy to appear silly. I can
offer guidance: IMO, willingness to appear silly is the most
common characteristic of IETF-folks to whom I personallly pay
attention. They, and I, don't of course, always recall this:-)

S.

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From: Luigi Iannone <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:13:15 +0200

As a newbie

IMO a web page announcing a meeting point and a most likely target  
Pub/Restaurant will be a nice initiative.

If there are volunteers, each evening someone can propose something  
different.

Luigi

>> Snooty groups would be encouraged to gather someplace else.

Luigi Iannone

[email-masked]

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From: "Ved Kafle" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:37:44 +0900

The idea of having some volunteers for helping participants to meet each
other is good.
I had met some participants, specially from Asian countries, who wanted
to meet other participants for some research discussions.
But, they could not do that because of the following two possible
reasons:
First, they were shy to introduce themselves to others (in their home
country, usually a third person introduces two persons.)
Second, they were not quite sure whether the person they intended to
meet would respond well when the responder was talking to others. 

We may think of such volunteering jobs as well.

Ved

-----Original Message-----
From: Luigi Iannone [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 6:13 PM
To: Stephen Farrell
Cc: Radia Perlman; [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [69ATTENDEES] Networking at IETF meetings

As a newbie 

Luigi  

S.

Radia Perlman wrote:

Luigi Iannone

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From: Eric Burger <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 10:05:33 -0700

Like all good ideas, I am sure we can "borrow" ideas from Neighborhood
Welcome Committees or the Dating / Personals industries.

I would offer (hope) that we would have more than 8 people interested in
such an activity.  As a relatively old IETF guy, I would still welcome the
opportunity to meet with new meeting attendees.  Perhaps a virtual sign-up
sheet with interests, who is already going, and venue information?

Yet another Wiki for Henrik to setup :-)

> Snooty groups would be encouraged to gather someplace else.

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From: "Stephen Hanna" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:58:36 -0400

With the "Keep It Simple" principle in mind, I think we can
just say that people who want an ad-hoc meal should meet at
the IETF Message Board at meal times. This better suits the
ad-hoc, casual, last-minute nature of the situation than a
complicated online sign-up sheet.

The message board also provides a convenient place for a
sign saying "Happily Educational and Yeasty Mealtime Ad-hoc
Networking (heyman)" or some such clever acronym, along
with a humorous description of the ad-hoc meeting protocol.

Thanks,

Steve