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Re: [802SEC] Electronic participation in meetings



At 08:05 PM 1/27/2009 , Bob O'Hara wrote:

 >To separate the general discussion of electronic participation
 >from the experiment run in the Whitespace SG, I have created
 >this new email thread.  Please move the general discussion here.
 >
 >I have read the emails from Tony, John, Geoff, and others.
 >They all cite valid issues with the tool used and the problems
 >it created running an efficient meeting.  I agree that the tool
 >has issues and causes inefficiencies in the meeting.
 >Tool issues are not a reason to not consider how we can open
 >our meetings to more participants, unless we are just against
 >that idea on general principles.
I very strongly disagree.
 >
 >I believe that more participation generates better discussions,
 >Which then generate better standards.
Not necessarily. If more participation requires a lower quality, more cumbersome discussion process for the most interested and most committed parties, then broader participation is not necessarily a win. That is the issue we are discussing here. If we open the process to anyone in the world who is casually interested, perhaps not in a constructive way, then we lose in terms of our goals, which is producing innovative and relevant new standards.
 >  If electronic participation
>will allow more people to participate, or even to observe, why shouldn't we enable that?
For precisely the reason above.
It is a balance.
We try to do invention by committee.
It is not a given that the larger the committee, the better the output.
 >
 > -Bob
 >
Best regards,

	Geoff

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