Organization of IETF Process Documents
draft-carpenter-gendispatch-org-proc-docs-01

GenDispatch                                              B. E. Carpenter
Internet-Draft                                         Univ. of Auckland
Intended status: Informational                            1 October 2024
Expires: 4 April 2025

                 Organization of IETF Process Documents
              draft-carpenter-gendispatch-org-proc-docs-01

Abstract

   This document suggests that the IETF's many documents related to
   process and procedures need to be better organized and consolidated,
   and outlines a possible framework for this.

About This Document

   This note is to be removed before publishing as an RFC.

   Status information for this document may be found at
   https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-carpenter-gendispatch-org-
   proc-docs/.

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Copyright Notice

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   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   4.  Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Appendix A.  Change Log [RFC Editor: please remove] . . . . . . .   5
     A.1.  Draft-00  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     A.2.  Draft-01  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The IETF has a large number of documents (mainly RFCs) devoted to its
   standard process, its rules and procedures in general, and how it
   does its work.  Some of these are BCPs, some of them are
   Informational RFCs, with occasional Experimental RFCs.  In addition
   there are IESG Statements for specific topics, summaries of processes
   and procedures on the IETF web site, presentations made at IETF
   meetings or in educational material, snippets in email archives,
   unwritten rules, and external information such as this
   (https://sphericalcowconsulting.com/2024/09/20/more-on-standards-
   development/).

   At a rough estimate, to have a complete understanding of IETF
   processes and procedures, a person would need to consult about 65
   BCPs and RFCs -- there is an out of date informal list
   (https://www.ietf.org/process/informal/).  There are also at least 30
   relevant IESG statements.

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   This situation is clearly problematic.  Obviously it is a major
   stumbling block for newcomers.  Even for people with years of IETF
   participation it can be a source of confusion, mistakes, and wasted
   time.

   This draft suggests that at the very least, the IETF needs an
   organizing principle or framework for its process and procedural
   documents.

   Beyond that it seems desirable to start a project, which would take
   many years to complete, of consolidating documents (where that is
   feasible) and ensuring that they fit together into a common framework
   that will help newcomers and experienced participants alike.

   Furthermore, a well-maintained guide to the IETF process is needed,
   for newcomers and experienced participants alike.  Maintaining such a
   guide as part of the IETF web site would seem appropriate.

2.  Framework

   The idea is that process documents would be organized to fit into one
   of a set of major topics, with as little overlap as possible.  The
   following list of topics is only a suggestion.

   *  Workflow in the IETF

   *  Bodies involved in the process

   *  Document types

   *  Standards track documents

   *  Review and approval process

   *  Intellectual Property Rights

   *  Conduct of participants

   *  Publication process (RFC Editor)

   *  Parameter registration process (IANA)

   *  Meetings

   *  Administration and support

   *  Process for modifying process and procedures

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3.  Consolidation

   [I-D.rsalz-2026bis] and [I-D.rsalz-2418bis] are good examples of
   consolidation.  If all the relevant RFCs and IESG statements could be
   consolidated in this way, resulting in say 10 or 15 documents fitting
   into the framework above, future participants would face much less
   complexity.

   There is a question of finding the effort to do this.  It seems
   unlikely that it can be entirely performed on a voluntary basis.
   Most of the work is editorial in nature, and could be performed
   without any decisions of principle being needed.  That implies that
   it could be performed as paid work.  Any decisions of principle (such
   as reconciling inconsistencies between existing documents, or
   incorporating an IESG Statement in an RFC) must of course be subject
   to IETF review and consensus, as must the final documents.

4.  Guide

   The informal list (https://www.ietf.org/process/informal/) of
   process-related documents mentioned above has been present on the
   IETF web site for many years.  Since it was carefully written not to
   paraphrase or summarize content, but only to cite existing documents,
   it could serve as an model of how a regularly maintained guide might
   look.  This maintenance will not involve any decisions of principle.

5.  IANA Considerations

   No IANA actions are needed.

6.  Security Considerations

   This document does not directly affect the security of the Internet.

7.  Acknowledgements

   Useful comments were received from Jay Daley, Stephen Farrell, Ted
   Hardie, Eliot Lear, Eric Rescorla, Rich Salz, and others.

8.  Informative References

   [I-D.rsalz-2026bis]
              Salz, R. and S. O. Bradner, "The Internet Standards
              Process", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-rsalz-
              2026bis-10, 5 September 2024,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-rsalz-
              2026bis-10>.

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   [I-D.rsalz-2418bis]
              Salz, R. and S. O. Bradner, "IETF Working Group Guidelines
              and Procedures", Work in Progress, Internet-Draft, draft-
              rsalz-2418bis-05, 9 September 2024,
              <https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-rsalz-
              2418bis-05>.

Appendix A.  Change Log [RFC Editor: please remove]

A.1.  Draft-00

   *  Original version

A.2.  Draft-01

   *  Early comments incorporated

Author's Address

   Brian E. Carpenter
   The University of Auckland
   School of Computer Science
   The University of Auckland
   PB 92019
   Auckland 1142
   New Zealand
   Email: brian.e.carpenter@gmail.com

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