[TLS] Re: Draft THURDAY minutes are at

Nadim Kobeissi <[email protected]> Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:02:28 +0200
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.tls
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Hi Mike,

On the question of what outcome I am seeking: a working group =
environment in which participants do not send private messages telling =
other participants, repeatedly, that votes on =E2=80=9Cdraconian =
moderation=E2=80=9D refer to them specifically and to pressure them to =
stop engaging with the list. That is the whole of it. In my case, I know =
for a fact that this isn=E2=80=99t true, based on the volume of emails I =
received encouraging me to not leave the list when I was considering to =
do so last week, and for which I am grateful.

You are right that the chairs bear no formal responsibility for messages =
sent by other participants in private. I should have been clearer that =
the concern is about signaling, not causation. When chair communications =
frame a participant's conduct as extreme or excessive, that framing can =
provide cover, however unintentionally, for others to act on that =
sentiment in ways they might otherwise have reconsidered.

Your observation that the relevant sentiment predated any vote is noted, =
and in fact very useful and illustrative context. If anything, it =
confirms that the climate was already primed before the language =
question arose, which is the more concerning reading, not the less.

On your closing remark: I think it illustrates the point rather well.

Nadim Kobeissi
Symbolic Software =E2=80=A2 https://symbolic.software

> On 23 Jul 2026, at 2:34=E2=80=AFPM, Mike Shaver =
<[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 7:28=E2=80=AFAM Nadim Kobeissi =
<[email protected]> wrote:
>> I=E2=80=99d like to disclose that one potential negative impact of =
using extremely strong wording such as =E2=80=9Cdraconian=E2=80=9D is =
that I=E2=80=99m now receiving extremely aggressive and abusive emails =
off-list from some senior IETF participants who have repeatedly =
expressed their belief that this vote pertained to me personally, and =
indicates that (I quote) =E2=80=9Cthe working group has clearly voted =
that they don't want to hear from [me].=E2=80=9D
>=20
> In the most courteous way I can manage before tea, I submit that this =
sentiment existed well before any vote occurred containing the toxic =
word "draconian" (which we all know means that one has a breath weapon =
and immunity to the relevant elemental damage). The senders of such =
messages are entirely responsible for their own off-list expressions of =
opinion and they should not be laid at the feet of the chairs even if a =
starkly prescriptivist reading of constrained live-poll language offends =
your editorial sensibilities.
>=20
> It is possibly ironic, but certainly non-productive, to continue an =
extended fight about the dictionary definition of the word after you =
have been directly and repeatedly informed that it was clear in the =
context of the audience at which it was directed. It is unclear what =
outcome you're seeking from it, to be frank. I hope that watching the =
video or otherwise gaining the context of the moment provides you with =
some relief.
>=20
> I hope even more that you're able to find more constructive and =
collaborative ways to communicate on the TLS list, because whatever =
intellectual contributions you might offer are utterly eclipsed by the =
unwelcome volume and tone.
>=20
> Mike


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<html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" =
content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body =
style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
line-break: after-white-space;">Hi Mike,<br><br>On the question of what =
outcome I am seeking: a working group environment in which participants =
do not send private messages telling other participants, repeatedly, =
that votes on =E2=80=9Cdraconian moderation=E2=80=9D refer to them =
specifically and to pressure them to stop engaging with the list. That =
is the whole of it. In my case, I know for a fact that this isn=E2=80=99t =
true, based on the volume of emails I received encouraging me to not =
leave the list when I was considering to do so last week, and for which =
I am grateful.<div><br>You are right that the chairs bear no formal =
responsibility for messages sent by other participants in private. I =
should have been clearer that the concern is about signaling, not =
causation. When chair communications frame a participant's conduct as =
extreme or excessive, that framing can provide cover, however =
unintentionally, for others to act on that sentiment in ways they might =
otherwise have reconsidered.<br><br>Your observation that the relevant =
sentiment predated any vote is noted, and in fact very useful and =
illustrative context. If anything, it confirms that the climate was =
already primed before the language question arose, which is the more =
concerning reading, not the less.<br><br>On your closing remark: I think =
it illustrates the point rather well.<br =
id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div>
<meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><br>Nadim Kobeissi<br>Symbolic Software =
=E2=80=A2&nbsp;https://symbolic.software<br>
</div>
<div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On 23 Jul 2026, at 2:34=E2=80=AFPM=
, Mike Shaver &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div =
class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 7:28=E2=80=AFAM Nadim =
Kobeissi &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div>I=E2=80=99d like to =
disclose that one potential negative impact of using extremely strong =
wording such as =E2=80=9Cdraconian=E2=80=9D is that I=E2=80=99m now =
receiving extremely aggressive and abusive emails off-list from some =
senior IETF participants who have repeatedly expressed their belief that =
this vote pertained to me personally, and indicates that (I =
quote)&nbsp;=E2=80=9Cthe working group has clearly voted that they don't =
want to hear from =
[me].=E2=80=9D</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>In the most =
courteous way I can manage before tea, I submit that this sentiment =
existed well before any vote occurred containing the toxic word =
"draconian" (which we all know means that one has a breath weapon and =
immunity to the relevant elemental damage). The senders of such messages =
are entirely responsible for their own off-list expressions of opinion =
and they should not be laid at the feet of the chairs even if a starkly =
prescriptivist reading of constrained&nbsp;live-poll language offends =
your editorial sensibilities.</div><div><br></div><div>It is possibly =
ironic, but certainly non-productive, to continue an extended fight =
about the dictionary definition of the word after you have been directly =
and repeatedly informed that it was clear in the context of the audience =
at which it was directed. It is unclear what outcome you're seeking from =
it, to be frank. I hope that watching the video or otherwise gaining the =
context of the moment provides you with some =
relief.</div><div><br></div><div>I  hope&nbsp;even more that you're able =
to find more constructive and collaborative ways to communicate on the =
TLS list, because whatever intellectual contributions you might offer =
are utterly eclipsed by the unwelcome volume and =
tone.</div><div><br></div><div>Mike</div></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>=

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