Thread 6: Business Culture vs. Internet Culture (was Re: Anobservation)

[Simon Higgs <simon@higgs.com>]

At 9:15 AM -0600 12/26/96, Dave Crocker wrote:

> At 04:09 AM -0600 12/26/96, Simon Higgs wrote:
> >Seriously, the room was loaded with engineers with personal principles
> >based mostly upon the traditional academic internet. The advertising
> >and marketing community was not represented at all.
>
> 	Simon, this is a common belief and it is wrong.  There were 2,000
> people at that IETF and most had not been to an IETF meeting before.  The
> 'traditional' ietf community comprises a few hundred folk, at most.  Since
> I was the first commercial participant in an ietf I can tell you that
> before things got commercial, there were about 40 participants.
>

There were not 2000 people at the IAHC or Newdom BOFs. The advertising
and marketing culture is totally different to the IETF. They would
stand out a mile from each other. Just because the attendees' employer
is an advertising agency or "commercial participant" doesn't make them
advertising or marketing people. The attendees were mostly engineers
building the infrastructure.

> 	To repeat:  The vast majority of ietf attendees are part of a
> commercial enterprise.  Assigning them the role of 'academic' suggests that
> they do not appreciate or subscribe to the goals of their employer.  This,
> I think, is follie.
>

That's like saying the janitor has the same authority as the company
president.  When I explained at the IAHC BOF that the attendees must
follow their employers wishes or they will get fired, there were many
heads nodding in agreement. The IAHC is totally failing here to address
the realities of the business culture.


Regards,

Simon

--
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.