|> -----Original Message-----
|> From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org]
|> On Behalf Of Stewart Bryant
|> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 6:47 AM
|> To: Sam Hartman
|> Cc: Harald Tveit Alvestrand; ietf(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
|> Subject: Re: Normative figures
|>
|> Sam Hartman wrote:
|>
|> >Hi. With the exception of packet diagrams, I think all the
|> examples
|> >you bring up benefit significantly from clear textual description.
|> >
|> Sam
|>
|> I am not saying that clear text is not needed to accompany a diagram.
|> However a diagram allows a lot less text to be written
|> producing a shorter clearer draft with less clutter.
<SNIP>
Perhaps this is getting to the crux of the issues. I see the IETF documents
as breaking down the problems into smaller chunks that can be dealt with one
at a time and which add up to a big picture description of the whole Internet.
I see each individual document as being simple within itself, limiting the
context to the smallest level an issue may be dealt with. By adding more
complexity to the documents I feel it is allowing more complex issues to be
described in the documents but the documents then become larger, more
difficult to comprehend and will be more difficult to process.
Using the example you gave for routing costs, I see the description of routing
cost basics or specifics as one document and the description of how they may
be dealt with as another.
By forcing the documents to be in a simple format, there are limitations on
the complexity that may be explained in a single document, but I consider this
a good thing. It forces everyone to break the problems and issues down to
their lowest levels and forces simple explanations that make it easier for
everyone to understand.
If more complex documents with full diagramatic process flows are required,
these could be books written linking a number of IETF documents together to
describe a more general practical picture of their implementation.
Darryl (Dassa) Lynch
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