Subject: Document Action: 'On Consensus and Humming in the IETF' to Informational RFC (draft-resnick-on-consensus-07.txt)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 09:58:37 -0700

The IESG has approved the following document:
- 'On Consensus and Humming in the IETF'
  (draft-resnick-on-consensus-07.txt) as Informational RFC

This document has been reviewed in the IETF but is not the product of an
IETF Working Group.

The IESG contact person is Jari Arkko.

A URL of this Internet Draft is:
http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-resnick-on-consensus/

Technical Summary

   The IETF has had a long tradition of doing its technical work through
   a consensus process, taking into account the different views among
   IETF participants and coming to (at least rough) consensus on
   technical matters.  In particular, the IETF is supposed not to be run
   by a "majority rule" philosophy.  This is why we engage in rituals
   like "humming" instead of voting.  However, more and more of our
   actions are now indistinguishable from voting, and quite often we are
   letting the majority win the day, without consideration of minority
   concerns.  This document is a collection of thoughts on what rough
   consensus is, how we have gotten away from it, and the things we can
   do in order to really achieve rough consensus.

Working Group Summary

    Note: This document is quite
    consciously being put forward as Informational.  It does not
    propose to change any IETF processes and is therefore not a BCP.
    It is simply a collection of principles, hopefully around which
    the IETF can come to (at least rough) consensus.

Document Quality

   Well-run IETF consensus processes have usually followed at least some of the elements
   recommended by this document.

Personnel

   The Document Shepherd and Responsible Area Director is Jari Arkko.