Burke Chris-CCB007
1999-09-27 19:07:44 UTC
Posted this morning to IETF-PRESS-CLUES, FYI.
Chris Burke
Chris Burke
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: First Draft Ideas
Hello! I have just joined the list and read through the archive at
http://www.imc.org/ietf-press-clues.
I chair the Web Elucidation of Internet-Related Developments working
group,
part of the User Services Area. The group's charter is to build and
maintain
a web site that makes information about the IETF and IETF activities more
accessible to a less technical audience. I fully expect that the Press
will
be among the most frequent visitors to this site.
Given the support of the IETF WG chairs and ADs, the site will include
digests of WG charters and deliverables, as well as something akin to an
"area plan" for each area and a "hot topics" section that will cut across
multiple Areas. We also plan on including information useful to new
participants, such as The Tao of the IETF, and All RFCs are not Standards.
Our intent is that the site will be named off of the ietf.org domain,
perhaps info.ietf.org, but we are still hashing out the name in the
working
group before taking a proposal to the IETF secretariat.
The "press clues" information being discussed on this list would be a
welcome addition to the WEIRD web site, increasing the benefit that the
WEIRD site provides to the internet community. If you decide to proceed
and
want a collaborator or host, please count me in!
1) I don't see a problem with IETF WG chairs being fingered as "press
contacts" for their WG. Especially with the recent IETF policy change,
which
increases the role of the WG chair in determining the status of a
contributed document, I can think of no better contact. If WEIRD is
successful, it will become the first line of defense - I hope that the
press
will go there for answers to FAQ, and only hit up WG chairs when the WEIRD
site fails to satisfy.
2) I like the idea of an "IETF Style Guide" for the press, which gives
in-your-face examples of where a mistake has been made. Generally, the
trade
press has a built-in incentive to report accurately on events and I think
they would welcome a tool to help them avoid becoming someone's corporate
shill by mistake.
3) With respect to "emphasizing the positive" as someone put it, I don't
see
a big problem with using specific, real examples. What the press writes is
a
matter of public record. I think it is effective to give a specific
example,
without belaboring the details. Associate the example with the
publication,
not with the reporter, since the whole publication is responsible for its
editorial content. Quote the article. Then be truthful, but kind, in
pointing out where the mistake was made.
Regards,
Chris Burke
"I before E except after C...WEIRD"
IETF Web Elucidation of Internet-Related Developments
Sent: Monday, September 27, 1999 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: First Draft Ideas
Hello! I have just joined the list and read through the archive at
http://www.imc.org/ietf-press-clues.
I chair the Web Elucidation of Internet-Related Developments working
group,
part of the User Services Area. The group's charter is to build and
maintain
a web site that makes information about the IETF and IETF activities more
accessible to a less technical audience. I fully expect that the Press
will
be among the most frequent visitors to this site.
Given the support of the IETF WG chairs and ADs, the site will include
digests of WG charters and deliverables, as well as something akin to an
"area plan" for each area and a "hot topics" section that will cut across
multiple Areas. We also plan on including information useful to new
participants, such as The Tao of the IETF, and All RFCs are not Standards.
Our intent is that the site will be named off of the ietf.org domain,
perhaps info.ietf.org, but we are still hashing out the name in the
working
group before taking a proposal to the IETF secretariat.
The "press clues" information being discussed on this list would be a
welcome addition to the WEIRD web site, increasing the benefit that the
WEIRD site provides to the internet community. If you decide to proceed
and
want a collaborator or host, please count me in!
1) I don't see a problem with IETF WG chairs being fingered as "press
contacts" for their WG. Especially with the recent IETF policy change,
which
increases the role of the WG chair in determining the status of a
contributed document, I can think of no better contact. If WEIRD is
successful, it will become the first line of defense - I hope that the
press
will go there for answers to FAQ, and only hit up WG chairs when the WEIRD
site fails to satisfy.
2) I like the idea of an "IETF Style Guide" for the press, which gives
in-your-face examples of where a mistake has been made. Generally, the
trade
press has a built-in incentive to report accurately on events and I think
they would welcome a tool to help them avoid becoming someone's corporate
shill by mistake.
3) With respect to "emphasizing the positive" as someone put it, I don't
see
a big problem with using specific, real examples. What the press writes is
a
matter of public record. I think it is effective to give a specific
example,
without belaboring the details. Associate the example with the
publication,
not with the reporter, since the whole publication is responsible for its
editorial content. Quote the article. Then be truthful, but kind, in
pointing out where the mistake was made.
Regards,
Chris Burke
"I before E except after C...WEIRD"
IETF Web Elucidation of Internet-Related Developments