Session Date/Time: 20 Sep 2023 15:00

EODIR

Summary

This EODIR virtual interim meeting focused on reviewing ongoing activities and brainstorming strategies to increase participation and diversity within the IETF. Key discussions included new participant onboarding, challenges with the MeetEcho platform, planned outreach for IETF 118 and 119, and a deep dive into various dimensions of diversity, including "diversity of thought" and practical "micro-tasks" to foster inclusion.

Key Discussion Points

New Participant Onboarding for IETF 118: Michelle Cotton provided an update on activities for new participants at IETF 118, including overview sessions, quick connections, a social event with leadership, and crucial MeetEcho test sessions two weeks prior to the meeting.
MeetEcho Usability for Chairs: Concerns were raised by Andrew Camping and Karen O'Donoghue regarding working group chairs, even experienced ones, struggling with MeetEcho, especially with the upcoming new interface for IETF 118. Greg Wood outlined a plan to proactively encourage chairs to schedule their own test sessions in MeetEcho to practice with chair tools and providing a short script for guidance.
New Participant Statistics: Michelle Cotton committed to providing a brief summary of new participant activity and statistics from previous meetings to the EODIR mailing list.
Working Group Chairs Forum: Karen O'Donoghue noted that the Chairs Forum for IETF 118 is planned, with ongoing discussions about evolving its format to make better use of time.
Upcoming Outreach Activities:
- IGF (Kyoto, October): Darshana outlined plans for an IETF Town Hall, aiming to educate policy and government stakeholders about IETF's work, consensus process, and encourage participation. Initial measurement will be anecdotal.
- IETF 118 (Prague): The Internet Society will host a policymaker program targeting the European and African regions.
- IETF 119 (Brisbane): Lee Berkeley reported on ongoing efforts for sponsorship and partnerships with the Australian government and the Australian Internet Association. A specific challenge noted was that RFCs are reportedly not recognized as published works in Australian universities, hindering student participation for credit. The traditional networking reception is unlikely for Prague.
IETF Chairs Training: Greg Wood announced live online IETF chairs training sessions in October, based on the established curriculum. Critically, these sessions will be open to all IETF community members, not just chairs, to broaden understanding of IETF workings and encourage future chair participation. Suggestions for outreach to potential participants are welcome.
IETF 118 Host and Diversity & Inclusion (DNI): Mark Nottingham inquired about the impact of not having a host for IETF 118 on DNI initiatives. Lee Berkeley and Greg Wood confirmed that while the absence of a host might reduce certain "perks" (e.g., open bars), dedicated DNI sponsors ensure that core programs like childcare support, travel grants, and Sisters in Tech will continue.
Brisbane Connections: Andrew Camping suggested connecting with AuNOG (Australian Network Operators Group) and APNIC for Brisbane outreach. Darshana noted some APNIC members expressed preference for meetings in Southeast Asia over Brisbane, which was a surprising insight.
Defining and Measuring Diversity:
- Andrew Camping introduced the concept of "diversity of thought" as a critical element beyond traditional demographic measures (gender, ethnicity). He argued that a lack of diverse backgrounds and roles (e.g., end-users, policy-makers, network operators from different companies/sectors) limits the quality of standards.
- Paul Wouters clarified that IETF's diversity efforts are broadly aimed at bringing in new groups, not solely on specific viewpoints.
- Karen O'Donoghue questioned the feasibility of measuring "diversity of thought" and cautioned against direct comparisons of IETF gender diversity with the broader "tech industry," suggesting a more nuanced comparison with specific engineering fields or combined efforts like IEEE/W3C.
- Aubrey (participant) echoed the challenge of defining "which diversity is most important." They suggested focusing on diversifying the types of work IETF encourages (e.g., impact assessment of protocols) to attract a broader participant base. They also observed that IETF has become more diverse over the past decade.
- Lee Berkeley proposed focusing on "micro-tasks" for diversity, such as connecting IETF's Sisters in Tech with similar programs in other organizations (e.g., Australian Internet Association's sisters' program) or engaging women's affinity groups at universities.
- Darshana supported integrating multiple axes of diversity (e.g., gender and geographic) in outreach efforts.
- Paul Wouters highlighted ongoing efforts by Area Directors (ADs) and current chairs to increase diversity in working group chair selections, acknowledging it as a challenging, systemic issue.
- Mark Nottingham suggested formalizing qualitative feedback mechanisms from IETF presentations to external communities (e.g., IGF, RIPE) to better understand their perceptions of the IETF and barriers to participation. Darshana confirmed the IAB Outreach Coordinator is initiating anecdotal data collection from such events.
- Greg Wood reinforced the persistent challenge of understanding how non-participants perceive the IETF, suggesting interviews as a potential approach, similar to past website redesign efforts.
- Andrew Camping recommended Corinne Cath's PhD thesis on IETF culture for insights on diversity, and suggested that Jay (LLC) could expand plenary presentations to show trends on agreed-upon diversity measures over a longer timeframe.

Decisions and Action Items

Michelle Cotton: Will provide a brief summary of new participant activity and statistics from past meetings to the EODIR mailing list.
Greg Wood: Will make a special effort to encourage working group chairs to schedule and practice using MeetEcho, providing short scripts and guidance, especially targeting Research Group chairs.
EODIR Co-chairs: Will encourage discussion on specific "micro-tasks" for diversity on the EODIR mailing list.

Next Steps

Continue the discussion on increasing diversity and improving culture within the IETF on the EODIR mailing list.
Identify and propose concrete, achievable "micro-tasks" to advance diversity initiatives.
Individuals are encouraged to bring forward ideas for activities and volunteer to lead or contribute to them, aligning with EODIR's coordinating role.
Recognize and build upon the observed improvements in IETF's diversity and culture over the past decade, focusing on continued positive progress.