[TLS] Re: Improving the quality of the discussion on the TLS email list

Nadim Kobeissi <[email protected]> Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:12:23 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.tls
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Hi Filippo,

You write:

> Excellent, sounds like you land at the same result as the chairs when =
tallying support by all participants. That=E2=80=99s promising!

Please take care not to misrepresent Tanja=E2=80=99s position. Tanja=E2=80=
=99s opening sentence in her email was:

> I can tally the emails on list, which were about even in favor and =
against.

Tanja=E2=80=99s assessment, when taking into consideration all =
participants, appears to have been something close to a 50/50 split.
The chairs=E2=80=99 assessment, when taking into consideration all =
participants [1], is different:

> By pure numbers, more people want to progress the document than not,


The chairs do not go into more detail than this, and =E2=80=9Cmore =
people want to progress the document than not=E2=80=9D could mean =
anything from a 51/49 split in favor of adoption to a 70/30 split or =
maybe more. It=E2=80=99s imprecise.

Tanja=E2=80=99s assessment is more precise and implies something closer =
to a 50/50 split.

You=E2=80=99ve made a good deal of noise correcting people when they =
call women participants on this list =E2=80=9CMs. X=E2=80=9D instead of =
=E2=80=9CDr. X=E2=80=9D [2] =E2=80=94 I would advise you, if you truly =
want to make a difference in the enfranchisement of different voices on =
this list, to take care not to misrepresent their contributions. I =
suspect that would make a much bigger difference than haughtily =
correcting the usage of honorifics.

[1] =
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/tPe7m_vpmDco43588yVW3JWrb8U/
[2] =
https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/jLmKnwk-nSTEJr8oT_H6YQ__da8/=20=


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

> On 31 Jul 2026, at 10:35=E2=80=AFAM, Filippo Valsorda =
<[email protected]> wrote:
>=20
> Excellent, sounds like you land at the same result as the chairs when =
tallying support by all participants. That=E2=80=99s promising!
>=20
> Then, have you tried tallying support by =E2=80=9Cpre-existing WG =
participants or people with demonstrated expertise=E2=80=9D using your =
own methodology? Did you land at a result significantly different from =
=E2=80=9Croughly 7/10=E2=80=9D?
>=20
> Assuming you=E2=80=99re not looking a priori for something to object =
to, if you come to the same conclusion using your own methodology, I =
don=E2=80=99t see what good demanding an itemized list would do.
>=20
> If you do come to a significantly different result, you can share your =
methodology in your appeal, and let the ADs, IESG, or IAB assess it.
>=20
> 2026-07-31 15:55 GMT+02:00 Tanja Lange <[email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>>:
>> Dear Eliot, dear all,
>> I can tally the emails on list, which were about even in favor and =
against.
>> The chairs announced that by some process of discarding or weighing =
some votes
>> they reach 70% in favor. To quote this verbatim=20
>> "However, if we look at pre-existing WG                       =20
>> participants or people with demonstrated expertise, roughly 7/10 WG   =
                   =20
>> participants favor advancing the document, which shows rough =
consensus                   =20
>> to move the document forward."
>> The requests I've seen, starting right after the chairs announced =
their
>> decision that there was consensus in favor of the document, are =
asking for
>> which input was discarded or counted higher or lower. I cannot do the
>> "homework" of checking this because I don't know the mechanism used.=20=

>>=20
>> Additionally, the email asking for responses was sent with
>> Reply-To: Joseph Salowey <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>> so that replies would go to Joe's address and to the list only if the =
sender
>> chooses to reply to all (or edits the header manually), so there =
might be some
>> emails that didn't go to the list and which therefore I cannot count =
when doing
>> my homework.
>>=20
>> Finally, there are reports of messages not appearing on list despite =
the
>> sender responding with the release code. We have seen some messages =
containing
>> release codes appear on list (I hadn't seen that in any previous =
discussion).
>> My understanding is that the chairs see those, and maybe that's where =
the
>> chairs saw additional support, but I cannot count these in my =
homework.
>>=20
>> Hence, I would like to support the request for transparency of how =
the 7/10
>> (quoted above) was reached.
>>=20
>> All the best
>> Tanja
>>=20
>> On Fri, Jul 31, 2026 at 01:02:26PM +0200, Eliot Lear wrote:
>> > Hi,
>> >=20
>> > On 31.07.2026 12:37, Ken Kubota wrote:
>> >=20
>> >     There have been repeated requests [1, 2] that the working group =
chairs release the participant chart/list/table publicly that supports =
the 70 % claim ("7/10 WG participants favor advancing the document" =
[3]).
>> >=20
>> > Unnecessary.  All the information used by the chairs is publicly =
available on
>> > this list.  Do your own homework.  Stop making work for others.
>> >=20
>> >=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > TLS mailing list -- [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>> > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>
>>=20
>> _______________________________________________
>> TLS mailing list -- [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] =
<mailto:[email protected]>
>>=20
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> TLS mailing list -- [email protected]
> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]


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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 Filippo,<div><br></div><div>You =
write:</div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type=3D"cite">Excellent, =
sounds like you land at the same result as the chairs when tallying =
support by all participants. That=E2=80=99s =
promising!</blockquote><div><br></div>Please take care not to =
misrepresent Tanja=E2=80=99s position. Tanja=E2=80=99s opening sentence =
in her email was:</div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type=3D"cite">I =
can tally the emails on list, which were about even in favor and =
against.<br></blockquote><div><br></div>Tanja=E2=80=99s assessment, when =
taking into consideration all participants, appears to have been =
something close to a 50/50 split.</div><div>The chairs=E2=80=99 =
assessment, when taking into consideration all participants [1], is =
different:</div><div><br></div><div><div><blockquote type=3D"cite">By =
pure numbers, more people want to progress the document than =
not,</blockquote></div></div><div><br></div><div>The chairs do not go =
into more detail than this, and =E2=80=9Cmore people want to progress =
the document than not=E2=80=9D could mean anything from a 51/49 split in =
favor of adoption to a 70/30 split or maybe more. It=E2=80=99s =
imprecise.</div><div><br></div><div>Tanja=E2=80=99s assessment is more =
precise and implies something closer to a 50/50 =
split.</div><div><br></div><div>You=E2=80=99ve made a good deal of noise =
correcting people when they call women participants on this list =E2=80=9C=
Ms. X=E2=80=9D instead of =E2=80=9CDr. X=E2=80=9D [2] =E2=80=94 I would =
advise you, if you truly want to make a difference in the =
enfranchisement of different voices on this list, to take care not to =
misrepresent their contributions. I suspect that would make a much =
bigger difference than haughtily correcting the usage of =
honorifics.</div><div><br></div><div>[1]&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/tPe7m_vpmDco43588yVW3JWr=
b8U/">https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/tPe7m_vpmDco43588yVW3JWrb8=
U/</a></div><div>[2]&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/jLmKnwk-nSTEJr8oT_H6YQ__=
da8/">https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/tls/jLmKnwk-nSTEJr8oT_H6YQ__da=
8/</a>&nbsp;<br><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 31 Jul 2026, at 10:35=E2=80=AFA=
M, Filippo Valsorda &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><title></title><div><div>Excellen=
t, sounds like you land at the same result as the chairs when tallying =
support by all participants. That=E2=80=99s =
promising!</div><div><br></div><div>Then, have you tried tallying =
support by =E2=80=9Cpre-existing WG participants or people with =
demonstrated expertise=E2=80=9D using your own methodology? Did you land =
at a result significantly different from =E2=80=9Croughly =
7/10=E2=80=9D?</div><div><br></div><div>Assuming you=E2=80=99re not =
looking a priori for something to object to, if you come to the same =
conclusion using your own methodology, I don=E2=80=99t see what good =
demanding an itemized list would do.</div><div><br></div><div>If you do =
come to a significantly different result, you can share your methodology =
in your appeal, and let the ADs, IESG, or IAB assess =
it.</div><div><br></div><div>2026-07-31 15:55 GMT+02:00 Tanja Lange =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt;:</=
div><blockquote type=3D"cite" id=3D"qt" style=3D""><div>Dear Eliot, dear =
all,</div><div>I can tally the emails on list, which were about even in =
favor and against.</div><div>The chairs announced that by some process =
of discarding or weighing some votes</div><div>they reach 70% in favor. =
To quote this verbatim&nbsp;</div><div>"However, if we look at =
pre-existing =
WG&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</=
div><div>participants or people with demonstrated expertise, roughly =
7/10 =
WG&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><d=
iv>participants favor advancing the document, which shows rough =
consensus&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>to =
move the document forward."</div><div>The requests I've seen, starting =
right after the chairs announced their</div><div>decision that there was =
consensus in favor of the document, are asking for</div><div>which input =
was discarded or counted higher or lower. I cannot do =
the</div><div>"homework" of checking this because I don't know the =
mechanism used.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Additionally, the email =
asking for responses was sent with</div><div>Reply-To: Joseph Salowey =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt;</div><div>so =
that replies would go to Joe's address and to the list only if the =
sender</div><div>chooses to reply to all (or edits the header manually), =
so there might be some</div><div>emails that didn't go to the list and =
which therefore I cannot count when doing</div><div>my =
homework.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally, there are reports of =
messages not appearing on list despite the</div><div>sender responding =
with the release code. We have seen some messages =
containing</div><div>release codes appear on list (I hadn't seen that in =
any previous discussion).</div><div>My understanding is that the chairs =
see those, and maybe that's where the</div><div>chairs saw additional =
support, but I cannot count these in my =
homework.</div><div><br></div><div>Hence, I would like to support the =
request for transparency of how the 7/10</div><div>(quoted above) was =
reached.</div><div><br></div><div>All the =
best</div><div>Tanja</div><div><br></div><div>On Fri, Jul 31, 2026 at =
01:02:26PM +0200, Eliot Lear wrote:</div><div>&gt; =
Hi,</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;</div><div>&gt; On 31.07.2026 12:37, Ken Kubota =
wrote:</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There =
have been repeated requests [1, 2] that the working group chairs release =
the participant chart/list/table publicly that supports the 70 % claim =
("7/10 WG participants favor advancing the document" =
[3]).</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;</div><div>&gt; Unnecessary.&nbsp; All the =
information used by the chairs is publicly available on</div><div>&gt; =
this list.&nbsp; Do your own homework.&nbsp; Stop making work for =
others.</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;</div><div>&gt;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div=
><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><di=
v>&gt; _______________________________________________</div><div>&gt; =
TLS mailing list --&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div>&gt; To =
unsubscribe send an email to&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div><br></=
div><div>_______________________________________________</div><div>TLS =
mailing list --&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div>To unsubscribe =
send an email to&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></div><div><br></=
div></blockquote><div><br></div></div>____________________________________=
___________<br>TLS mailing list -- [email protected]<br>To unsubscribe send =
an email to =
[email protected]<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>=

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