NIST GAK export meeting, short version

[Thaddeus J. Beier]

David Lesher <netcomsv.netcom.com!nrk.com!wb8foz> said:

> Attendence was roughly 20% (yes, one fifth) of September.

> ISTM industry is tired of hearing the same words in a different order.


I thought that this would happen, immediately on reading that there was
going to be this meeting.  From Pat and John Young's reports on the previous
meeting, it was almost a revolt; almost everyone in attendence thought that
the proposals were completely wrongheaded.  Yet, it was announced that
this meeting would be happening.  Very quickly an new set of criteria were
announced that made it clear that the input from the last meeting was
completely, systematically, and with no apology whatsoever, ignored.
All the intelligent complaints from intelligent people that cared and thought
a lot about the issue could just have well not have been said.

So, why go to the next meeting?  Many people have apparently decided not to.
Nothing can demoralize somebody more than making good points, telling
arguments, that are then ignored.  I would have thought at this meeting
there would have been a majority of pro-GAK people, to affirm the mandate
that was being presented.  Apparently this did not happen, although I'm
desparately waiting for more reports from this meeting as to exactly what
did happen.

It's not completely true that the efforts of the previous meeting had no
effect, there was one: that the breakout meetings where the major shouting
took place were eliminated from this meeting.  I think that this was an
error on the Govt's part, it worked so well the last time.  I'm sure that
by the next meeting, or the one after that, or if necessary the one after
that, they will have finally come to the point where they can say that
there was unanimous enthusiastic acceptance of the GAK criteria, so why
not extend it to domestic use as well?

thad

who is deeply grateful to the East-Coast group for showing up and making
noise
-- Thaddeus Beier                   email:  thad at hammerhead.com
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