Engineers, principles and practice (Re: [icann-eu] Draft comments on Study Committee)

[Harald Alvestrand <Harald@Alvestrand.no>]

At 15:26 24/11/2000 +0100, Marc Schneiders wrote:
> > I do not agree - I think a wider participation is good, and the number of
> > people who care enough to get informed is not small.
>
>I sense some 'leave-it-to-the-engineers' here. I am too sensitive
>probably. Ideas about political 'systems' are functioning below
>surface all the time in these discussions. I find this confusing at
>times, especially when practical aspects and principles of internet
>politics are mixed.

Some things don't work for technical reasons.
The role of "engineers" in politics is to point out those situations.

Personally, I want to contribute to BOTH the discussion of what things 
should be and the discussion of what things are possible. So do most people 
of an engineering background, I think.

It is when people who do not understand the technology misrepresent 
technology, suggest things that will not work, or things that will cause 
active damage, that the engineers have a reason to want to be listened to 
more than others when they say "no". Not otherwise.

But it is very hard to remember when you are acting in what role.



--
Harald Tveit Alvestrand, alvestrand@cisco.com
+47 41 44 29 94
Personal email: Harald@Alvestrand.no