For some time there have been extensive discussions, both in person and via email, concerning the future of NANOG. A dedicated group of individuals (including many of you) has assembled a detailed proposal for NANOG's evolution, a proposal which lays out a number of important ideas. Merit staff are very grateful for the well-informed and constructive work put forth by the NANOG community. We at Merit are in agreement with most of the proposed changes, although there are a few points which we feel require further discussion. In this message I would like to outline Merit's reaction to these proposals and propose some next steps for discussion via email and at the next NANOG meeting in Seattle. As you will see below, our intention is to move forward with these changes over the summer. The first change you will see is one of financial transparency. Beginning with the Seattle meeting, Merit will provide an update on NANOG finances and operations at each meeting. Look for this presentation at every future NANOG meeting; it will take place during the Sunday Special Community Meeting in Seattle. Information will also be posted on nanog.org. We support the formation of a Steering Committee which will provide overall guidance for NANOG operations, appoint the Program Committee, and appoint the mailing list administrator panel. The Steering Committee would consist of six members elected by the NANOG community and one appointed by Merit. We propose that an election process be developed and that the first Steering Committee be elected during the summer of 2005, to begin serving by the Fall NANOG meeting. We support the formation of a Program Committee appointed by the Steering Committee. Our experience leads us to believe that a larger committee will be better able to handle the heavy workload, so we suggest that the Program Committee consist of 16 members (plus one member appointed by Merit). A smooth transition from the current committee to a new one is critical to ensure the success of upcoming meetings. We propose that the current Program Committee continue as presently constituted through the Fall NANOG meeting (except that the three open positions would be filled through appointment by the current committee after an open nomination process). This will allow time for the Steering Committee to be elected and to appoint a new Program Committee. In order to provide continuity and preserve institutional memory of the programming process, half (or more, at the discretion of the Steering Committee) of the members of the first reconstituted Program Committee would be selected from among those current Program Committee members willing to continue service, and the remainder would be new appointments from the community at large. We propose that Steve Feldman continue his capable leadership as Program Committee chair for the first year to help the new committee get established. We recommend that a member of the Steering Committee serve ex officio on the Program Committee, and that the chair of the Program Committee serve ex officio on the Steering Committee. These liaison roles will help ensure that the activities of the two groups are coordinated. We also support the change to mailing list administration, a change already partially implemented. We propose three panel members appointed by the Steering Committee and one appointed by Merit. We seek further discussion on the subject of membership. We at Merit believe that NANOG's success is due in no small part to its informality, an informality which mirrors other technical activities related to the Internet. We believe that addition of a paid membership category will dilute the influence of those who make the effort and take the time to participate in NANOG's main activity, the meetings. We propose that eligibility to vote in NANOG elections be determined solely by registration for NANOG meetings. We look forward to discussing this question in Seattle. Finally, although NANOG is a community of professionals, it is also a Merit business activity and not a separate organization. Merit accepts the risks, both financial and otherwise, created by NANOG. Merit staff are responsible first to Merit's Board of Directors for these financial and risk issues. In order to exercise our responsibility to our Board we must retain final authority over NANOG operations and finances, including representing NANOG to other organizations, negotiating and executing agreements with vendors, and selecting hosts and sites. We do not expect this to be a problem in practice, however, as we intend to work with the new Steering Committee and Program Committee on the presumption that the members of the NANOG community know best what they need from NANOG. We are confident that the goals of community guidance and transparency can be achieved without abrogating our responsibility to Merit's Board. You can read a draft of a proposed new NANOG Charter and action plan at http://www.nanog.org/evolution.html. You will also find a link to the most recent NANOG-reform draft bylaws document for reference. We have adopted considerable language from that document, into which so much effort was put. We thank those who provided that foundation and have participated in the discussion so far, and we encourage everyone to participate in the continuing evolution of NANOG. We are excited about moving NANOG into its future. See you at the NANOG Futures session in Seattle on Tuesday, 17 May. Mike --------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael R. McPherson, Interim President and CEO Merit Network, Inc. | mcpherson@merit.edu 1000 Oakbrook Dr., Suite 200 | 734-764-9430 Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6794 | FAX: 734-647-3185 http://www.merit.edu http://www.umich.edu/~mcpherso Scheduling: Gayle Terkeurst, 734-764-8450, gturkey@merit.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------