Re: Should the RFC Editor publish an RFC in less than 2 months?

[Leslie Daigle <leslie at thinkingcat.com>]

There are a few things I think people should keep in
mind while discussing this:

Russ has presented the IETF-particular case.  If the
solution lies in IETF process (i.e., update to RFC2026),
that's fine.  If the solution lies in adjusting RFC process,
then we need to make sure there is agreement on how
that impacts the whole RFC series (i.e., wider than IETF
audience involved).

For example -- shortening the appeal window (or going
to a 2-stage process, as Ted noted) is an IETF process
change.    Determining that "withdrawing a published
RFC" meets appeal-resolution requirements is an IETF
process discussion.

Changing the status of documents, or withdrawing them
entirely, impacts the RFC series (RFC4844 and related).
A wider discussion will be needed. (Note -- that wider
discussion might be needed *anyway*, if there is belief
that the ability to withdraw a published RFC is
needed for other reasons.)


Leslie.

IETF Chair wrote:
> Dear IETF Community:
>
> Due to a lot of hard work, the RFC Editor is publishing approved
> Internet-Drafts more quickly.  Overall this is just what we want to
> happen.  However, I am concerned that the RFC Editor is might be getting
> too quick.  Anyone can appeal the approval of a document in the two months
> following the approval.  In the past, there was not any danger of the RFC
> Editor publishing a document before this timer expired, and the only
> documents that became RFCs in less than 60 days were the ones where the
> IESG explicitly asked for expedited processing.  The recent improvements
> by the RFC Editor make it likely that all documents will be moving through
> the publication process in less than two months.
>
> If we receive an appeal before the RFC is published, we can put a hold on
> the document, preventing pblication until the appeal has been studied. 
> However, we have no way to pull an RFC back if it is published before the
> appeal arrives.  As we all know, once an RFC is published, it cannot be
> changed.  Thus, the RFCs form an archival series.  If we find a bug in an
> RFC, we write a revised RFC that obsoletes the one that contains the
> error.  So, what should we do if there is a successful appeal after the
> RFC is published?
>
> While we figure out what policy we want, I have asked the RFC Editor to
> not publish any IESG approved documents until their appeal timer has
> expired.  I also challenged the RFC Editor to move things along so fast
> that this matters.  I suspect they can.  Which means that the whole IETF
> community needs to help the leadership figure out the appropriate policy
> before the rapid processing of Internet-Draft documents into RFCs becomes
> the norm.
>
> Russ

--

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"Reality:
     Yours to discover."
                                -- ThinkingCat
Leslie Daigle
leslie at thinkingcat.com
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