from Cook: Strange Events at the National Science Board meeting Today

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

From: cook () path net (Gordon Cook)
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 1994 15:00:02 PST


What is the National Science Board and the NSF up to??


I have a copy of the Boards Agenda for the Friday February 11 meeting in front
of me.  A *CLOSED* session was scheduled for 35 minutes from 9 am to 9:35.


An OPEN Session was scheduled from 9:50 to 11:35 AM.  At 10:35 AM the agenda
item was Briefing: Directorate for Computer & Info Sciences & Engineering.


I think we know what that meant....a briefing from our good Dr. Wolff on the
awards for NSF 93-52. (the vbns etc).


So here we have the finest of American democracy at work with Steve telling
not only the Board but the public if it cared to come how and why he has
crafted the network architecture for the rest of the decade.


And gee after my carefully worded briefing against Dr Wolff's decisions that I
emailed to the Board on January 25, I actually received a phone call from the
NSFnet Director himself at 9:45 am February 3.  Since this was the first time
in roughly two years that Steve and I had communicated by phone I was
understandably curious as to what gave.


Steve said that he had to write a rebuttal for the National Science Board of
my January 25 briefing and in discussions about this the question of what
subject my doctorate was in had come up.  Steve said he thought it was Slavic
studies and would find out.  Close I said -  Russian History actually.  With
this Steve said thanks and good bye.


With that I decided to send my predictions article released a day ago to
com-priv to the Board and asked the board for a copy of the rebuttal saying
I'd FOIA it if need be.


OK so far so good.


Now being very interested in CISE's briefing to the board I checked with some
friends in DC.  And I actually found one willing to attend with a tape
recorder.  With the day's nasty weather he apparently called the Board shortly
before 9am.  With the gov't shut down again was the meeting being held?  Yes
it was.  Good I'll be right over to attend the open session he said.  When he
got there the closed session had just ended and he was told that there would
be NO OPEN SESSION.... that some announcements would be made on Monday.


Now golly if I didn't know better I'd think that either someone is trying to
hide something, OR that some kind of major unexpected decision had been made
in the closed session.


I find it difficult to believe that even though the weather today was horrible
that getting the board on their way home 90 minutes early was that critical to
our national welfare.


I mean do we have open meetings or not?  And what does it mean for the future
of the network when an open briefing to the science board can be cancelled
with *NO* notice.


**Who's making the rules by which the NSF is playing?**


_________


Here is what my friend said:




When I called this morning they told me the meeting was still
going to be held, even though the federal government is closed.  But,
when I got there the closed meeting had just ended and they informed me
that the open meeting had been cancelled.  I do not know if there is
going to be any kind of meeting Monday or if they are just going to make
an announcement.


______


I received this message at 4:45 PM.  I tried to call the board but perhaps not
surprisingly got no answer.