[802-20-GENERAL:] Posted Practice Ballot Draft
An unfortunate propensity to air member’s frustration, concerns or disagreement via the reflector has once again manifested itself with the recent posting by two members of the Ad Hoc Editorial Task Group (ETG). This group was formed and approved in Orlando. The task description for this group will be posted shortly. This task statement was agreed upon by the ETG in a telecom on 3 May.
Once again, the Chair will respond via reflector, as he now must, despite how negatively such discourse reflects upon 802.20. The only positive aspect of this type of exchange is that the Chair’s goal of openness and desire to provide the opportunity for everyone to express his or her view cannot be more manifest than in a reflector exchange such as this.
The merger of proposals into the first cut draft, that is now posted, was done by the Chair of the Ad Hoc ETG. The remainder of the ETG had no input. The result of the ETG Chair’s effort was twofold. First, it enabled us to meet schedule and post this draft in the required timeframe. Second, it placed the draft before all of 802.20. This allowed the draft tob be judged on its own merits by all of 802.20.
Had all of the editorial working group argued, discussed or debated this draft until all of the ETG were satisfied, two possible negative consequences were possible. It is possible that we would not have made the date required to post the draft, and more importantly, this small group in the ETG would be in he position of substituting their technical judgment for that of the 802.20 membership. In the view of the Chair, this is not the task of the ETG.
Working Group 802.20 complained bitterly in the past about decisions made by a small editorial group outside the view of the general membership. It appears that two members of the ETG want to repeat that rather than trusting the ability of the members of 802.20 to judge the draft placed before them and arrive at their own conclusions. The chair also must point out that what is posted is a draft or starting point for comment and discussion. The hypothesis that this draft is not fit to for discussion is peculiar.
Currently two members of the ETG have informed the Chair that they are creating their own draft. The decision of these members to create their own draft is a choice that they are entitled to; However the drafts they are creating have no sanction or status within 802.20. Any member of 802.20 can create a draft, but those drafts would be o more or no less relevant or meaningful than the draft created by the two members of the ETG. It should be clear to all that the only draft under discussion and sanctioned by 802.20 is the draft posted on the 802.20 web site. The authorized path to criticism or objection to this draft is to make explicit comments in regards to the posted draft for consideration by 802.20. The opinion of the two members of the ETG that the posted draft is unready or unworthy of consideration is of no greater worth than the opinion of any other member of our working group. As you are all aware, criticism of the posted draft without explicit instructions fo!
r correction and/or repair of this draft is unresponsive to the instructions that have been posted and thus outside the bounds that have been established for evolving the posted draft.
The self-elevation of the two members of the ETG to the level of sole deciders of what is or is not acceptable for evaluation by 802.20 is an unauthorized and unsanctioned action of their part. The Chair, 802 EC, nor the Standards Board has provided these people with the authority to determine what is ready or acceptable for view by the 802.20 Working Group. Consequently, their views will be considered in the same manner as any other random view expressed by any other member of. 802.20. The path to legitimate criticism of the posted draft is clear. Should the complaining members of the ETG ultimately decide to criticize the posted draft in a responsive manner as delineated by the Practice Ballot instructions their view will be given the same deference as those of any other member of this working group.
Arnie Greenspan
Chair 802.20