[ripe-list] The Future of Discussion Lists

Dear RIPE community,

At yesterday’s community plenary I asked whether mailing lists are
sustainable as our main communication channel. For those who were not
able to attend, the slide and a recording are available here:

- https://ripe86.ripe.net/wp-content/uploads/presentations/12-Mailing-Lists-RIPE-86.pdf
- https://ripe86.ripe.net/archives/video/1115

I am obviously concerned that discussion lists might not serve us with
fidelity in the future. If that is the case, I want us to manage any
change we need to make. We should not be bounced into rapid change.

There was more discussion than I expected. I’m sending this message to
ask the questions:

- Am I wrong? Are e-mail discussion lists a sustainable communication
channel for the foreseeable future?
- Are e-mail discussion lists an acceptable technology to people
joining the industry?

The text below is similar to something I shared with the WG Chairs
several months ago.

Kind regards,.

Leo

ripe-781 describes four fundamental principles supporting our policy
development process. The first two principles are openness and
transparency.

Changes in the treatment of e-mail by large industry players presents
a challenge to these two principles.

In 1992, when ripe-001 was published, anyone could run e-mail services
on any Internet infrastructure they could use. It is now far more
difficult to run e-mail services. Technology developments, like DMARC,
have made discussion mailing lists less effective.

Validation failures increase the probability of messages being treated
as junk. Subscribers to RIPE's discussion lists will miss messages
when their e-mail services provider treats them as junk.

When a legitimate message to a RIPE discussion list is treated as junk
the sender's voice has been moderated by a third-party mail provider.
RIPE's transparency is diminished when its discussion lists are
subjected to gatekeeping by third-party mail providers.

In 1992, e-mail was an improvement to postal services and telephony
protocols. In 2023, we have a wide choice of communication protocols
and platforms.

I believe that new protocols and platforms are preferred over e-mail
by potential participants in RIPE at the start of their careers. We
want these people to take part in RIPE. They are the future of
coordination for the operators of IP networks in Europe and the rest
of the world.

We must offer all current and potential participants in RIPE an
effective set of tools. Any tools we use must support the principles
of openness and transparency.

An ideal set of tools might have features like this:

1. An open protocol available for implementation by anyone.
2. Free(ly available) software implementations for popular operating
systems (Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows).
3. Allows a user to choose to have activity pushed to them. They must
not be forced to maintain a login to be informed of activity they are
interested in.
4. A public archive that cannot be retrospectively edited (barring
exceptional situations).

While the technology choices need to support the principles of
openness and transparency, they do not need to do all the work.
Announcements, blog posts, and other kinds of communications can be
built into our processes.

The combination of technology and process can make the whole more effective.