PARTICIPATE AT POLICY SIG
Community driven
Other people in the Community want to hear from YOU!
Participating in the APNIC policy process is not just about submitting proposals, the Policy SIG Chairs need input from all parts of the region and all sorts of community members.
Participation is a good way to learn more about important aspects of network operations.
Real results
Any policy change will affect you; it is important to let others know what you think of proposed changes. You can do that by:
- Posting to the Policy mailing list before the Open Policy Meeting (OPM)
- Attending the OPM, asking questions and listening to how the proposed policies affect others
- Joining the consensus call to show your support, or object to a suggested change
- Using the remote participation facilities and Confer if you can’t be there in person
Policy mailing list
Much of the policy discussion takes place on the mailing list. Your subscription is automatic when you sign up. Usually, one month before the conference the policy mailing list becomes very active as new proposals are discussed and people explain why they are for or against policy ideas.
- Visit the mailing list archive and see what people have been saying
Speaking at the OPM
Policy discussions are informal, but keep it friendly and professional. The APNIC code of conduct must be followed at all times.
To help others follow the discussion, please keep the following in mind when you speak at the OPM:
- Speak slowly and in plain English
- Say your name and organization/affiliation every time you speak
- Respect others’ point-of-view, level of experience, and familiarity with past discussions
- You are expected to be polite and diplomatic at all times
Remote participation
APNIC provides excellent remote participation facilities. You can watch the policy meeting online, ask questions or share your opinion via the chat facility and a staff member will read it out at the microphone for you.
Then participate in the consensus call using Confer online to support or oppose a suggested change.
Measuring consensus
During the meeting, the Chair(s) may ask for a show-of-hands to help them gauge general support or opposition to a proposal. They may also ask to use the APNIC Confer tool to do this online. This is important to give remote participants an opportunity to participate in the consensus.
Confer stands for CONsensus FEedback in Realtime.
The use of Confer or show-of-hands is not a vote. It is a way of broadly measuring opinion and the Chair(s) final decision takes many additional factors into account, including earlier discussions on the mailing list.
You need an APNIC login to use Confer, so it’s a good idea to create an account before the meeting so you can quickly get access when the time comes.
Instructions for using CONFER.
Read more about the consensus process