[wg-c] "It Won't Work"

[Dave Crocker <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>]

This note raises a question about Working Group C process.  As such, I am 
requesting a formal response.

For development efforts, there are two kinds of disagreements:  One is "I 
don't like the idea" or "I prefer some other idea".  That is an argument 
along the lines of engineering preference.  Hence, consensus is a 
reasonable way to break a deadlock, although it does raise a question about 
relative qualifications for choosing.

The other type of objection is "It won't work".  In other words, it is a 
claim that people's preferences are irrelevant, since the proposed 
mechanism simply does not function as desired.  To deal with this concern, 
there needs to be an analysis that shows that the mechanism DOES work, or 
else the mechanism/proposal needs to be fixed.

A number of us have raised concerns about the list of "criteria", pointing 
out that there is no objective way to apply them.  As such, they will 
become yet-another source for subjective debate.

In other words, the concern about the criteria is that They Won't Work.

What is significant is that there has been no substantive response to this 
concern.

Hence my raising a process challenge.

In other words, the current consensus call is irrelevant until basic 
concerns over the ability to apply these -- or any other -- "criteria" are 
resolved.

Jonathan, please deal with these concerns explicitly, since they concern 
the ability to USE the "criteria".  If there is no clear and reasonable 
basis for applying the "criteria" then development of them is just an 
academic exercise.

d/

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Dave Crocker  <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
Tel: +1.408.246.8253,  Fax: +1.408.273.6464
675 Spruce Drive,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA