Session Date/Time: 24 Jul 2022 16:30

Tutorial: Newcomers

Summary

This tutorial provided a comprehensive overview for newcomers to IETF 114, covering the organization's structure, meeting week mechanics, cultural aspects, and essential resources. The session emphasized IETF's unique model as a Standards Development Organization (SDO), its consensus-driven process, and practical guidance for effective participation, both in-person and remotely. Key activities and support systems for newcomers at IETF 114 were highlighted.

Key Discussion Points

Attendance Tracking: Attendees were instructed to scan a QR code for attendance, replacing traditional blue sheets. This practice is mandatory for all meetings and ensures proper record-keeping for the standards process.
Queueing Methodology: For asking questions during sessions, both in-person and remote attendees must use the virtual queue system (via MeetEcho Light for in-person, MeetEcho for remote) to ensure fairness and manage speaker order.
COVID-19 Policy: Attendees were requested to wear masks in meeting rooms, removing them only when speaking at the microphone.
Tutorial Scope: The tutorial focused on preparing participants for IETF 114 and an effective introduction to the IETF, rather than its history, how to write a standard, or bringing new work (though pointers were given).
IETF Notewell and BCPs: Participants were reminded of the importance of reading the IETF Notewell, which outlines general policies and rules, including Best Current Practices (BCPs), anti-harassment, and intellectual property policies. BCPs define either technology best practices or IETF operational guidelines.
Newcomer Activities (IETF 114 Specific):
- Newcomers Overview Tutorial (this session)
- Quick Connections (today, 4 PM, sign-up encouraged)
- Newcomers Dinner (tomorrow evening, sign-up required, email for details)
- Remote Newcomers Coffee Break (in Gather, details in emails)
- On-site Newcomers Feedback Session (Thursday morning, with food)
- Remote Newcomers Feedback Session (online, scheduled in coming weeks)
IETF Mission: To "make the internet work better" by producing high-quality, technically relevant documents. The IETF influences how the internet is designed, used, and managed (e.g., Drone Remote Identification Protocol - DRIP).
IETF as an SDO:
- Unique model: Membership is individual-based and self-selected (via DataTracker), not country-based or paid.
- Consensus: Operates on "rough consensus and running code," meaning all dissenting opinions are heard but not controlling. No formal voting.
- Funding: Primarily supported by the Internet Society, grants, and corporate contributions for sustainability, diversity, and meeting hosting.
IETF Structure:
- IESG (Internet Engineering Steering Group): Composed of Area Directors (ADs), responsible for technical direction, approving Working Group (WG) charters, and meeting decisions.
- IRTF (Internet Research Task Force): Focuses on longer-term research, co-located with IETF meetings; attendees can participate in IRTF sessions.
- IAB (Internet Architecture Board): Provides architectural oversight, manages liaison relationships with other organizations (e.g., ISO, ITU, Unicode Consortium), and organizes workshops (e.g., upcoming on sustainability).
IETF Areas: The technical work is organized into seven main areas, each overseeing multiple working groups.
Rough Consensus and Humming: Consensus is achieved through open discussion. "Humming" is a documented technique (RFC) used in meetings to quickly gauge consensus on an issue, with participants humming "yes," "no," or "can't decide."
Meeting Week Overview (Hybrid Model):
- Working Group Sessions: Core of the meeting (Monday-Friday), where technical work and document progression occur.
- Birds of a Feather (BoFs): Exploratory sessions to gauge interest for potential new working groups.
- Area-Wide Sessions: Updates from WGs within a specific area; "Dispatch" sessions guide new work to appropriate WGs or to form new ones.
- Plenary: Administrative session for updates from IESG, IAB, IETF LLC (finances), Nominating Committee.
- Social Event: Scheduled at Barnes Museum.
- IRTF/ANRW: Research sessions, including the Advanced Network and Research Workshop (ANRW, an ACM workshop) and presentations of the Applied Networking Research Prize (ANRP).
- Hackathon: (Held pre-IETF meeting, yesterday/today) Collaborative coding to implement and test IETF specifications, fostering interoperability.
- Tutorials/Deep Dives: Specialized technical presentations (e.g., on QUIC).
- Side Meetings: Informal gatherings for specific discussions, not officially streamed.
- Hallway Track: Informal discussions and networking during breaks, a crucial part of in-person meetings.
Working Group Session Mechanics: Most work happens on mailing lists. Meeting presentations focus on "diffs" (changes since last meeting) and open issues. Sessions are streamed and recorded on MeetEcho and later on YouTube. WGs operate under a charter negotiated with ADs.
Meeting Etiquette: Read documents in advance, use the Zulip chat system for back-channel discussion or clarification, be respectful, speak slowly, and state your name at the microphone.
Bringing New Work: Ideas can start as Internet-Drafts (IDs), submitted through the DataTracker (authors.ietf.org provides tooling and tutorials). Initial discussions can happen informally before a BoF.
IETF Culture: Described as passionate, vocal, informal, valuing technical excellence. Efforts are ongoing to improve inclusivity and foster a positive environment.
Support and Resources:
- Anti-Harassment Policy & Ombuds Team: Multiple avenues for addressing concerns, starting with WG Chairs/ADs, up to the IETF Chair, and the independent Ombuds Team (three long-term participants).
- IETF Secretariat: Staff managing logistics, registration, and general support.
- RFC Editor & IANA Staff: Key functions present at meetings (with office hours) for document publication and protocol number assignments, respectively.
- IETF Sisters: An informal support group for women and non-binary individuals in the IETF, with networking events and a mailing list.
- DataTracker (dt.ietf.org): The central and most critical resource for all IETF activities, containing WG information, documents, meeting materials, mailing list archives, and a bug reporting system. The Tools Team (Code Sprint) actively develops and maintains it.
- MeetEcho: The custom web-based conferencing system for managing sessions, queues, and recordings.
- IETF Network: A dedicated, deployed network for meeting attendees, with help desk support available.
- Additional Resources: Newcomer email links, "The Tao of the IETF," main meeting mailing lists, and [email protected] for all meeting issues (a ticketing system).

Decisions and Action Items

Newcomers are encouraged to:
- Scan the QR code for attendance at all sessions.
- Utilize the MeetEcho queue system for asking questions in all IETF sessions.
- Attend specific IETF 114 newcomer activities: Quick Connections, Newcomers Dinner, Remote Newcomers Coffee Break, and Feedback Sessions.
- Familiarize themselves with the IETF Notewell and Best Current Practices.
- Explore the IETF DataTracker (dt.ietf.org) as the primary resource for all working group information, documents, and mailing lists.
- Consider participating in Hackathons at future IETF meetings.
- Adhere to IETF meeting etiquette, including reading documents in advance and speaking clearly at the microphone.
- Join the IETF Sisters mailing list or attend their events for community support.
- For any meeting-related issues, email [email protected].
Education, Mentoring, and Outreach (EMO) Team:
- Revise online newcomer videos to pull out meeting-specific information for better longevity.
- Schedule and announce the remote newcomers feedback session in the coming weeks.
- Continue to refine the remote attendee experience for newcomers.
- Provide feedback on information missed or helpful for newcomers to improve future activities.

Next Steps

For IETF 114 Participants: Actively engage in the ongoing newcomer activities throughout the week. Utilize the DataTracker and MeetEcho tools for meeting participation.
For EMO and Presenters: Continue gathering feedback from newcomers to enhance future tutorials and support mechanisms, particularly for hybrid meeting environments.
General IETF: Continue efforts to improve inclusivity and support for all participants.