Subject: Retention of blue sheets

From: Samuel Weiler <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:31:41 +0100 (BST)

During the plenary this evening, it came out that the IETF has 
retained the working group attendance sheets ("blue sheets") from 
previous meetings, and those are occasionally the subject of 
subpoenas.

In the interest of minimizing IETF overhead and reducing legal risks 
to individual participants, I'd like to see those old records 
destroyed.  And, though there appeared to be a variety of opinions, it 
sounded like I wasn't alone in this.

The reason typically given for the attendance lists is planning 
meeting room capacity.  That purpose could easily be accomplished with 
a headcount or by counting the number of names on the attendee list 
then immediately destroying the list.  Most of us aren't 
mathematicians by training: we should be able to count the number of 
people in the room.

What harms would come from destroying those old records and/or not 
collecting such details in the future?  And how widespread is the 
support for destroying them?

-- Sam