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diff --git a/doc/rfc/rfc6640.txt b/doc/rfc/rfc6640.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b96b1e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/rfc/rfc6640.txt @@ -0,0 +1,731 @@ + + + + + + +Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) W. George +Request for Comments: 6640 Time Warner Cable +Category: Informational June 2012 +ISSN: 2070-1721 + + + IETF Meeting Attendees' Frequently Asked (Travel) Questions + +Abstract + + This document attempts to provide a list of the frequently asked + questions (FAQs) posed by IETF meeting attendees regarding travel + logistics and local information. It is intended to assist those who + are willing to provide local information, so that if they wish to + pre-populate answers to some or all of these questions either in the + IETF wiki or a meeting-specific site, they have a reasonably complete + list of ideas to draw from. It is not meant as a list of required + information that the host or Secretariat needs to provide; it merely + serves as a guideline. + +Status of This Memo + + This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is + published for informational purposes. + + This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force + (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has + received public review and has been approved for publication by the + Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Not all documents + approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet + Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741. + + Information about the current status of this document, any errata, + and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at + http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6640. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +George Informational [Page 1] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + +Copyright Notice + + Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the + document authors. All rights reserved. + + This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal + Provisions Relating to IETF Documents + (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of + publication of this document. Please review these documents + carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect + to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must + include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of + the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as + described in the Simplified BSD License. + +Table of Contents + + 1. Introduction ....................................................3 + 2. Why is this document necessary? .................................3 + 3. Helpful Information .............................................5 + 3.1. Travel .....................................................5 + 3.1.1. Transit between the Airport or Train Station + and Primary Hotels ..................................5 + 3.1.1.1. Taxi Information ...........................6 + 3.1.1.2. Mass Transit ...............................6 + 3.1.2. Getting Around near the Conference Venue ............7 + 3.2. Regional/International Considerations ......................7 + 3.2.1. Health and Safety ...................................8 + 3.2.1.1. Water Availability .........................8 + 3.2.2. Money ...............................................9 + 3.3. Food .......................................................9 + 3.3.1. Restaurants ........................................10 + 3.3.2. Other Food Items ...................................10 + 3.4. Communications and Electronics ............................10 + 3.5. Weather ...................................................11 + 3.6. Fitness ...................................................11 + 3.7. Tourism and Souvenirs .....................................11 + 4. Acknowledgements ...............................................12 + 5. Security Considerations ........................................12 + 6. Informative References .........................................12 + + + + + + + + + + + +George Informational [Page 2] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + +1. Introduction + + IETF attendees come from all over the world. The typical IETF + meeting has representatives from over 50 countries. It is quite + likely that a large portion of the participants in any given IETF are + newcomers to the specific location where it is being held or even to + the country or region itself. As a result, they are going to have + questions regarding their personal travel needs and logistics that + may only be answerable by someone who has been to the area before, + someone who lives there, and/or someone who speaks the local + language. + + The IETF, the Secretariat, and any local host organizations + responsible for the logistics of making IETF meetings happen are not + travel agencies, but they often can and do assist with identifying + and hosting the common information that most attendees wish to have + while they are planning their trip. This document attempts to cover + the most commonly asked questions and categories for information. + This document is not intended to provide answers to these questions + for every possible location in which IETF meetings may be held. + Rather, it is intended to provide a set of FAQs for use by the hosts + and others who have experience with the area where the event is being + held, so that questions and answers can be handled efficiently, + rather than waiting until someone sends an email to the meeting + attendees mailing list in the days leading up to the meeting. + +2. Why is this document necessary? + + In reading this document, one may ask, "Isn't that why search engines + and travel sites exist?" Although we can sometimes find what we're + looking for with search engines, that results in hundreds of people + spending time searching, which is not very efficient. In addition, + despite the widely held belief that if it is published on the + Internet, it must be true, sometimes the information that is + available is either inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date, so it may + be less reliable than firsthand information from someone who has been + there. Also, no matter how much online translation has improved, + some of the most useful local travel sites may be difficult for non- + native speakers to navigate and find information, because navigation + buttons, graphics, and other active content are typically not + machine-translatable, and non-native speakers may not realize when + machine translation is inaccurate in a critical way. Lastly, while + the companies that serve as hosts for IETF meetings often have + participants attending IETF, the folks who are responsible for + handling the details of hosting an IETF may not be regular attendees. + Therefore, this document, especially Section 3, is intended to be + + + + + +George Informational [Page 3] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + something that can be provided to host event organizers that may not + have much familiarity with the IETF, so that they have a better sense + of the information that attendees will find helpful. + + The format of this document was chosen so that it captures the FAQs, + but usually not their answers. This is because IETF RFCs are + typically static and infrequently updated, which does not make them a + particularly suitable format to contain location-specific + information. The questions found in this document are a result of + informal review of the attendees mailing lists from past meetings and + feedback from many individuals; they are believed to be reasonably + static from one meeting to the next. This document is not + necessarily all-inclusive, but it should serve as a reasonable + baseline such that a static format like an RFC is appropriate. It is + likely that this RFC will need to be revised periodically -- a clue + that this is necessary will be when, over the course of multiple + meetings, multiple additional questions that are not covered by this + document repeatedly surface on the attendees mailing list and thus + become FAQs. + + The answers to this document's questions are expected to be stored in + a location that is easily updated by multiple parties, so that site- + specific information can be refined and updated as often as + necessary, thereby creating a living document. There are several + options as to where to store this location-specific living document. + For some past IETF meetings, the hosting organization or an + individual [HIROSHIMA] has set up a special website. The best recent + examples of these, in terms of the information provided, are + www.ietf75.se and ietf71.comcast.net. Unfortunately, these types of + sites are not maintained indefinitely once the IETF meeting for which + they were set up has concluded, so the only way to review them as + examples is to use the Internet Wayback Machine [WEBARCHIVE]. Such a + website has been a source of much additional information about the + location and is always quite helpful. If the host decides to set up + a site like this, the hope is that this document will provide + guidance as to the type of information with which to populate such a + site. However, it is by no means a requirement that the host set up + an external website. Further, not every IETF meeting has a local + host, or even a host at all. In these cases, the need for the same + set of information is not lessened, but the IETF will be more reliant + on the willingness of those with experience in the area where the + meeting will be held to share the benefit of that experience with + others. The IETF has provided a hosted wiki [WIKI] that can simply + be populated with the same sorts of information. This has the added + benefit of having a single location where additional information can + be provided by experienced travelers, locals, and host + representatives alike; it is therefore not completely reliant on the + host. In the case where the IETF-hosted wiki is to be used, this + + + +George Informational [Page 4] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + document may serve as a framework of categories that could be pre- + built when the site-specific page is set up, so that others can begin + populating the information. + +3. Helpful Information + + There are a number of general categories of information listed below. + Some sections, such as Sections 3.1 and 3.2, contain information + necessary for travel; the rest can be considered nice to have. All + of it comes from actual FAQs from the attendees mailing lists. + + Much of the needed information may already be available in another + form online. There is no need to reproduce information that can be + found on external websites, so simply providing pointers to + information already available in other locations is quite + appropriate. However, it is very helpful if some validation and + vetting of the provided information is performed in order to avoid + outdated or inaccurate information. Additionally, because this is a + static and location-agnostic document, it's quite likely that some + questions are either irrelevant or confusing for some locations. + Therefore, "not really relevant here" and "we don't know" may be + valid answers to some of these questions. In those cases, it's + better to say this explicitly rather than to simply omit the section, + as this will confirm that the information was not simply omitted. + The main thing to remember when providing information in these + categories is that those traveling to the event have not been there + before, so one should not assume a high level of background knowledge + about the area, its customs, etc. + +3.1. Travel + + o Recommended airport(s) for domestic and international connections. + To avoid confusion, include the appropriate International Air + Transport Association (IATA) airport code(s) whenever possible. + + o Non-flight options to get to the city where the meeting is being + held (e.g., if there are convenient rail travel options). + +3.1.1. Transit between the Airport or Train Station and Primary Hotels + + Information in this section is especially critical if the airport is + significantly distant from the venue or use of a taxi is otherwise + impractical or not recommended (e.g., if attendees must use a train + or long-distance bus to get to the venue from the airport). If train + travel options are provided as an alternative to flying, it is + recommended that the list below be provided for those options as well + (e.g., transit between the train station and primary hotel). + + + + +George Informational [Page 5] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + o Estimated travel time. This is also important for return travel + from the venue to the airport. It is worth noting any + recommendations about leaving extra time if airport security and + check-in is always busy or if there will be significant + differences in travel time due to rush hour traffic. + + o Shuttles (if applicable). + + o Arranging transit directly with the hotel (if applicable). Hotels + sometimes provide car service or are willing to pay taxi bills + upon your arrival so that the charges can be added to the hotel + bill instead of requiring local currency. It is helpful to know + in advance if this is common or uncommon in the local area. + +3.1.1.1. Taxi Information + + o Credit cards accepted? Which ones? + + o Foreign currency accepted? + + o Estimated costs for taxis, as well as any rules/recommendations + about metered fares versus fixed-rate or pre-negotiated fares + + o Description of "official" taxis if appropriate + + o Links to websites or phone numbers for remote/pre-booking taxis + + o How to find the taxi stand at the airport/train station + + o Printable local-language address card to show taxi driver in case + of language barrier + + o Ride sharing (the IETF wiki usually has a section where attendees + can post arrival times and work out taxi sharing) + +3.1.1.2. Mass Transit + + Navigating an unfamiliar mass transit system can be challenging. + Things that seem obvious to locals may not be obvious to visitors. + + o English map + + o How and where to purchase farecards/tokens + + o How to use tickets/tokens (where to insert them, how to get them + stamped, how to transfer, etc.) + + + + + +George Informational [Page 6] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + o How trains/buses are labeled and how to identify the destination + of a particular train/bus + + o The general frequency of service -- in particular, whether one + should just go to the station or consult a schedule first + + o Which transit system to use for which destination (when there are + multiple transit systems in the area) + + o Nearby stations and how to identify a station entrance (common + logo, color, etc.) + + o It may be helpful to advise when things are not commonly labeled + in a western character set (e.g., place signs) and provide + pictures or unicode text representations of the signage as it will + appear. + +3.1.2. Getting Around near the Conference Venue + + The same information relevant for airport transit will likely be + relevant here, including taxi and mass transit information. If + possible, walking directions between the conference venue and the + hotel(s) should be provided if the venue is not co-located with the + hotel. + + Additionally, it is helpful to note if having a vehicle available + (rental or personal car) is a help or a hindrance in getting around + in the local area. For example, it may not be recommended to try to + drive in the area near the conference venue due to: + + o Parking availability and costs + + o Congestion charges and other restrictions on when and where one + can drive + + o Traffic + +3.2. Regional/International Considerations + + o Plug type/voltage. This can simply be a reference to + electricaloutlet.org [PLUGS] unless there are specific exceptions + or details that need to be highlighted. + + o Visa requirements, pointers regarding travel documents. IETF + typically provides information about visas via a pointer to an + embassy or similar page that has general information about common + types of visas, when they are required, waived, etc. It also + includes information about how to obtain a letter of invitation + + + +George Informational [Page 7] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + should one be required. It is helpful to provide information that + goes beyond that, especially if there are known issues where it + may be difficult for entrants from certain countries to get a visa + processed in the time between when the meeting is announced and + when travel must commence. If there are expedite processes, this + is a good place to discuss them. + + o Languages commonly spoken + + o National/regional holidays, work stoppages/strikes, or other + issues that may impact travel or business hours during the week of + IETF + +3.2.1. Health and Safety + + o Phone numbers to access local emergency services (e.g., 911, 112, + 999, etc.) + + o Closest health clinic/hospital facilities + + o Areas of high crime to avoid + + o Common local scams, including taxi scams + + o Hostile flora and fauna and how to identify/avoid + + o Local air-quality considerations. Everyone has different + thresholds for "unhealthy" air quality, and those with health or + respiratory problems may need to be able to locate local air- + quality monitoring information to determine how to best prepare + themselves. + + o Smoking rules + + * Are most bars and restaurants smoking or non-smoking? Are + separate smoking sections available? + + * Rules about smoking in public places + + * Availability of dedicated smoking/non-smoking rooms in hotels + + * Rules about smoking outdoors + +3.2.1.1. Water Availability + + o Is local tap water potable/drinkable? If not, is it truly unsafe + because of impurities or contamination or does it simply taste bad + by local standards? + + + +George Informational [Page 8] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + o How does one differentiate between tap water and bottled in a + restaurant when ordering? + + o Are water fountains/bubblers or water bottle refill taps commonly + available in public places? + +3.2.2. Money + + o General credit card acceptance in common locations, including any + restrictions (e.g., requires a 'Chip and PIN' card, no American + Express, etc.) + + o ATM locations near the venue and at the airport. Note whether + these accept foreign cards, which systems they participate in, and + whether they have an English language option. + + o Tipping customs, particularly for taxis, restaurants, and hotel + staff + + o Currency conversion rate -- a reference to a currency converter + site, e.g., Yahoo! [CURRENCY] will suffice unless there are + specific conversion details believed to be relevant + + o In establishments where foreign currency is accepted either for + purchase or for exchange, note whether this is recommended or not + due to favorable or unfavorable exchange rates, etc. + + o For what types of purchases (if any) bargaining/haggling on the + price is expected or customary, and if so, customary methods for + successful bargaining + +3.3. Food + + The nature of IETF's schedule means that food and drink provide both + a welcome break as well as a venue to continue discussions with + colleagues, either related to IETF work, other shop talk, or anything + *but* shop talk. During IETF's lunch break, approximately 1000 + people are simultaneously looking for reasonably priced lunch + options, with time frames ranging from "grab and go" for a working + lunch to 75 minutes for a sit-down meal. When meetings have + concluded for the day, the wide variety of attendees means that + people are looking for all types of food, all price ranges, and + atmospheres ranging from a place suitable for an in-depth + conversation to a table at the bar. The more information that is + available about the food and drink options nearby, the better. This + information is especially helpful during the first few days of the + + + + + +George Informational [Page 9] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + conference, because the number of folks looking for assistance from + the hotel concierge or other information desk staff at one time tends + to overwhelm the personnel available. + +3.3.1. Restaurants + + It's generally helpful to note whether restaurants require/recommend + reservations, if they have busy/rush times that should be avoided or + planned for, etc. + + It's helpful for restaurants to be categorized by: + + o Price + + o Proximity to venue (it's useful to highlight quick options for + lunch breaks) + + o Type of cuisine (this is a great place to highlight local + specialties and favorites) + + o Special dietary needs such as vegan, vegetarian, halal, and + kosher. It's also extremely helpful to discuss methods for + communicating these needs to restaurant staff when ordering. A + more in-depth discussion of dietary concerns can be found in + [HEALTHY-FOOD]. + +3.3.2. Other Food Items + + o Local grocery/convenience stores -- for attendees who cannot find + restaurant options that meet their dietary needs + + o Coffee shops and tea houses nearby -- specifically, where can we + find the best espresso or cup of tea? + + o Bars and pubs nearby + + o Restaurants or pubs with private rooms or large seating areas for + big groups + +3.4. Communications and Electronics + + o Places to purchase local SIMs and types of mobile voice/data + service supported, (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications + (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Universal Mobile + Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA, etc.) + + o Places to get replacement electronics and accessories (e.g., power + cords, adapters, batteries, etc.) + + + +George Informational [Page 10] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + + o Public Wi-Fi access (outside of hotel and venue) including Wi-Fi + availability in the recommended airports, mass transit, etc. + +3.5. Weather + + o Link to a site or brief information on temperature and humidity + norms for the time of year when the meeting will be held, e.g., + Weather Underground [WEATHER] + + o If this is an area known for extreme weather, note any amenities + to make travel easier, such as enclosed walkways or indoor + passages between buildings. + + o This also refers to indoor weather: what is the common indoor + temperature? + +3.6. Fitness + + o Soccer: If the weather cooperates, it is common for some IETFers + to try to hold a "soccer BoF" -- a pick-up soccer game sometime + during the week of IETF. Thus, a field appropriate for soccer in + close proximity to the venue is useful information to have. + + o Running/walking paths or routes. Some folks prefer this method + for exercise over using a treadmill. + +3.7. Tourism and Souvenirs + + While this is certainly not necessary information for the primary + goal of an IETF attendee, many attendees earmark a day or two on + either side of the conference for sightseeing, so this is an + opportunity to highlight local attractions. Links to sites + containing information about walking tours, local tourist attractions + and the like are certainly appreciated. If there are events + scheduled adjacent to IETF such as music or food festivals, cultural + events, etc., attendees are happy to hear about these events as well. + + Additionally, many attendees choose to purchase souvenirs as gifts or + for personal use. In addition to the standard "tourist-trap" items + such as t-shirts and knick-knacks, many attendees look for items that + are locally crafted, local specialties, or otherwise significant to + the local area and culture. This is another topic that can be + highlighted in the information provided to attendees. + + + + + + + + +George Informational [Page 11] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + +4. Acknowledgements + + Thanks to the following folks (and probably others the author has + unintentionally forgotten) for their valuable feedback: Dave Crocker, + Simon Perreault, Joe Touch, Lee Howard, Jonathan Lennox, Tony Hansen, + Vishnu Ram, Paul Kyzivat, Karen Seo, Randy Bush, Mary Barnes, John + Klensin, Brian Carpenter, Adrian Farrel, Stephen Farrell, Yaacov + Weingarten, L. David Baron, Samuel Weiler, SM, Ole Jacobsen, David + Black, Stewart Bryant, Benoit Claise, and Lawrence Conroy. + +5. Security Considerations + + This document is not a protocol specification and therefore contains + no protocol security considerations. However, some of the above + items refer to the physical security of IETF participants and their + property. This document is not intended to be a comprehensive + discussion of physical security matters for IETF attendees. + +6. Informative References + + [CURRENCY] Yahoo!, "Yahoo! Currency Converter", + <http://finance.yahoo.com/currency-converter/>. + + [HEALTHY-FOOD] Barnes, M., "Healthy Food and Special Dietary + Requirements for IETF meetings", Work in Progress, + March 2012. + + [HIROSHIMA] Jacobsen, O., "A Visitor's Guide to Hiroshima", 2009, + <http://hiroshima-info.info>. + + [PLUGS] electricaloutlet.org, "Worldwide Electrical Outlet + List", <http://electricaloutlet.org/>. + + [WEATHER] "Weather Underground", + <http://www.wunderground.com/>. + + [WEBARCHIVE] "Internet Archive: Wayback Machine", + <http://archive.org/web/web.php>. + + [WIKI] IETF, "IETF Meeting Wiki", 2011, + <http://www.ietf.org/registration/MeetingWiki/wiki/ + doku.php>. + + + + + + + + + +George Informational [Page 12] + +RFC 6640 IETF Meeting FAQs June 2012 + + +Author's Address + + Wesley George + Time Warner Cable + 13820 Sunrise Valley Drive + Herndon, VA 20171 + USA + + Phone: +1 703-561-2540 + EMail: wesley.george@twcable.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +George Informational [Page 13] + |