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RE: rfc publication suggestions

2001-03-13 08:00:02
From: "Rosen, Brian" <Brian(_dot_)Rosen(_at_)marconi(_dot_)com>
Subject: RE: rfc publication suggestions
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 16:57:03 -0500

Just as a practical matter from recent experience.

Usually, an RFC originates as an IESG approved I-D.
Usually, you don't submit nroff for an I-D.
The RFC editor never asks if you have nroff
The RFC editor sometimes forgets when you offer it.
So, even if you have nroff source, you may have to work
   to get it to the right folks at the right time.

Perhaps, the perils of a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract?  (Note that I
haven't seen the RFC Editor contract, nor have I checked to see if it
is public.)

Of course a big problem is the decreasing number of
IETF people who know nroff, and even fewer that are fluent,
and even fewer who would, if they had a choice, choose it.

Back when SRI was running the NIC (registering domain names, for those
not familiar with ancient history) I understand that they were running
stuff on some big, ancient (even at the time) DEC system (DEC-10 or
DEC-20 -- I forget because I'm not a DEC guy).  Network Solutions
apparently underbid SRI's (presumably cost-plus-fixed-fee) proposal
and converted all the processes to some Unix platform, (Solaris, I
think).

So, maybe, just maybe, the use of nroff is an artifact of un-competed
cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts, rather than any sort of intellectual
sclerosis of the IETF.

Or, we could go back to talking about NATs.

Never mind...

                -tjs