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Definitions, names, and confusion

2005-01-11 18:24:16
In recent discussion of a proposed replacement of a BCP RFC,
a couple of problems have reappeared:

1. There seems to be a fairly wide misunderstanding of what
   BCP RFCs are supposed to cover.  Part of the problem is that
   "Best Current Practice" isn't a terribly good name for the
   sort of administrative procedures and policies that BCPs
   actually address. Many individuals apparently believe that
   discussions of how to administer user accounts and the like
   are suitable for BCP.  It is clear from the RFC 2026 discussion
   that that isn't what BCP RFCs are about -- for those who bother
   to read 2026.  Reinforcing the misinterpretation are comments
   referring to "Next-Best Current Practice" and/or "Worst Current
   Practice".  I suspect that there would be some resistance to
   changing the term "BCP" itself, so the only solution to this
   problem seems to lie in better education w.r.t. the true
   purpose and scope of BCP.

2. There seems to be a broad and deep lack of understanding of
   and appreciation for the importance of backwards compatibility.
   In searching the entire on-line collection of RFCs for an
   authoritative definition and in-depth discussion of the issue,
   I found none.  I believe the IAB could provide a much-needed
   service to the Internet Community by developing such a
   definition and explanation, possibly including it in a revision
   of RFC 1958, ideally with BCP (rather than Informational)
   status.

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