IETF: The Next Generation - what is a generation, anyway?

Abstract

The term "generation" is used heavily, usually with the idea that there can be fundamental changes to the way in which things work. Some fundamental changes have happened, and caused great upheavals in the way we manage our daily lives - other things that have been labelled "next generation" have vanished without a trace. This talk focuses on how standards processes interact with the concept of radical change, and aims to show some of the mechanisms that act to enable, encourage or discourage radical changes in technology.