Fifty Years of RFCs
RFC 8700
Document | Type |
RFC - Informational
(December 2019; Errata)
Was draft-iab-fiftyyears (iab)
|
|
---|---|---|---|
Author | Heather Flanagan | ||
Last updated | 2019-12-27 | ||
Replaces | draft-flanagan-fiftyyears | ||
Stream | IAB | ||
Formats | plain text html xml pdf htmlized bibtex | ||
Stream | IAB state | Published RFC | |
Consensus Boilerplate | Yes | ||
RFC Editor Note | (None) |
Internet Architecture Board (IAB) H. Flanagan, Ed. Request for Comments: 8700 RFC Editor Updates: 2555, 5540 December 2019 Category: Informational ISSN: 2070-1721 Fifty Years of RFCs Abstract This RFC marks the fiftieth anniversary for the RFC Series. It includes both retrospective material from individuals involved at key inflection points as well as a review of the current state of affairs. It concludes with thoughts on possibilities for the next fifty years for the Series. This document updates the perspectives offered in RFCs 2555 and 5540. 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 Architecture Board (IAB) and represents information that the IAB has deemed valuable to provide for permanent record. It represents the consensus of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB). Documents approved for publication by the IAB are not candidates for any level of Internet Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 7841. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8700. Copyright Notice Copyright (c) 2019 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 (https://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. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Key Moments in RFC History 3. Perspectives 3.1. The Origins of RFCs - by Stephen D. Crocker 3.2. The RFC Management and Editing Team - by Vint Cerf 3.3. Formalizing the RFC Editor Model - by Leslie Daigle 3.4. The Continuation, or Creation, of a Stream - by Nevil Brownlee 3.5. A View from inside the RFC Editor - by Sandy Ginoza 4. The Next Fifty Years of RFCs 4.1. Preservation 4.2. Evolution of the RFC Format 4.3. Stream Structure 5. Conclusion 6. IANA Considerations 7. Security Considerations 8. Informative References IAB Members at the Time of Approval Acknowledgements Contributors Author's Address 1. Introduction The RFC Series began in April 1969 with the publication of "Host Software" by Steve Crocker. The early RFCs were, in fact, requests for comments on ideas and proposals; the goal was to start conversations rather than to create an archival record of a standard or best practice. This goal changed over time, as the formality of the publication process evolved and the community consuming the material grew. Today, over 8500 RFCs have been published, ranging across best practice guidance, experimental protocols, informational material, and, of course, Internet standards. Material is accepted for publication through the IETF, the IAB, the IRTF, and the Independent Submissions streams, each of which have clear processes on how drafts are submitted and potentially approved for publication as an RFC. Ultimately, the goal of the RFC Series is to provide a canonical source for the material published by the RFC Editor and to support the preservation of that material in perpetuity. The RFC Editor as a role came a few years after the first RFC was published. The actual date the term "RFC Editor" was first used is unknown, but it was formalized by [RFC0902] in July 1984; Jon Postel, the first RFC Editor, defined the role by his actions and later by defining the initial processes surrounding the publication of RFCs. What is certain is that the goal of the RFC Editor is to produce documents that are readable, clear, consistent, and reasonably uniform, and that the archival record of what has been published is maintained. Change does come to the Series, albeit slowly. First, we saw the distribution method change from postal mail to FTP and then to email. RFCs could not be distributed electronically in the beginning, as the means to do that distribution would not be defined until years after the first RFC was "published". Not all early RFCs were even created electronically; some were written out by hand or on a typewriter. Eventually, the process for creating RFCs became more structured; authors were provided guidance on how to write an RFC. The editorial effort went from Steve Crocker to a more official model with a designated editor, Jon Postel, and later to a team of five to seven individuals. The actual editing and publishing work split from theShow full document text