[RPRWG] Balloting on IEEE 802.17 Working Group Draft 2.0

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IEEE 802.17 Draft 2.0 is the first draft that this working group is balloting. As such, I am using this email to provide my perspective on how I approach voting on a draft, and the reasons for choosing Editorial Approve, Technical Approve, and Technical Disapprove. This email is intended to help provide guidance to those that may be new to 802 balloting. I certainly encourage other experienced 802 hands to respond, especially if they have any substantially different ideas than I have.

First - addressing the most important division Approve the Draft (with or without comments) vs Disapprove.

Approval:

Approval does not mean perfection. Most real expert with strong opinions continue to see areas of any 802 draft that they believe would be improved with a few minor tweaks. Fortunately, the bar for approval is not set that high. Fundamentally, if I believe that the draft is complete, that the algorithms and specifications presented are complete, well understood, tested, correct and accurate, that the draft can be used to build interoperable equipment that functions properly, and that users of the technology have adequate guidance from the document, then I would vote Approve. This approval does not mean the algorithms are the best possible. It also does not mean that the descriptions are as clear as possible. However, it does mean there are no technical errors in the document, and that I believe it would serve the technical community and the users to have this document published as an IEEE Standard. I would additionally want to be able to rest in the knowledge that experts in the different areas of the standard are scrutinizing the draft within their areas of expertise, so that errors that I don't have the expertise to pick up would be uncovered, in case the document is not as complete or accurate as I am able to ascertain with my limited areas of expertise.

If I did not have a good feeling that the draft met the criteria for approval, through my direct understanding, or from following discussion of controversial points, then I would not vote Approve. If I did not have time to understand the important issues, I might vote Abstain, or if I believe there is at least one area that needs improvement, I would vote Disapprove, basing that vote on previously aired issues, and request seeing the next draft before I would consider changing my vote.

Disapproval:

I would vote Disapprove if I believed that it would be a mistake for the draft to go out in its present form as an IEEE Standard. There are various reasons to believe that the draft should not advance to a published standard including:

* The draft is not complete. Vital algorithms or guidance is missing, or technical details are not explained in sufficient detail, i.e. state diagrams or other description is lacking.

* The algorithms the draft is based on have not been sufficiently tested or simulated to have high confidence that the resulting systems will work as expected.

* The algorithms are faulty or give significantly lower performance than expected.

* The algorithms have flaws that expose the technology to "killer cases" that could bring bad press on the entire technology at some future time.

* There are ambiguities or omissions in the draft that I believe could lead to non-interoperable hardware from different manufacturers

* There are simple errors that, if followed would lead to an inoperable or badly operating product.

Some of the problems I perceive could be based on previously submitted comments that have not been resolved to my satisfaction. Then I might resubmit those comments as ones I concur with (acknowledging their source, but still voting DisApprove).

Secondary Issue, the labeling of individual comments. Specifically, comments that do not warrant a DisApprove:

All of the above DISAPPROVE reasons are technical. There can be other problems with the draft that warrant a Technical Approve with comment, or Editorial Approve with comment.

* When I observe lack of editorial clarity or editorial mistakes, I use the Editorial Approve comment to point those out.

* When there are technical inaccuracies that would not result in building the equipment wrong, then I would use a Technical Approve with Comment.

Note that when you submit your comments if there are one or more comments that are Technical Disapprove, then your ballot response is DisApprove. You are still free to have as many Editorial Approve and Technical Approve with Comment entries as you like.

Changing your vote from DisApprove to Approve:

If all of your technical Disapprove comments are dealt with to your satisfaction, and you believe the draft is now ready to be published as an IEEE Standard, you can change your vote from Disapprove to Approve or Abstain. However, it is your right to withhold conversion of your vote until you see the next revision of the draft published.