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Re: Last Call: 'TLS User Mapping Extension' to Proposed Standard

2006-02-21 14:24:34
Pasi Eronen said:

"On the other hand, I also think that just refusing to publish this
document would be a highly unproductive approach. If the document
solves a reasonable problem, the solution works, and it looks likely
it will be widely deployed, I don't think preventing publication on
minor process details would exactly "make the Internet work better"."

I agree that not publishing this document would be unproductive, but I'm 
not sure I agree about the "minor process details" part.  The IETF has 
processes in order to ensure fairness and due process.  These details are 
not minor -- one might argue they are at the heart of what it means to be 
an open standards body. 

You do make a good argument that the TLS IANA considerations are producing 
results that are not very logical.  If that's true, then we should fix 
this so that the results make sense to the community.  Throughout the IETF 
we seem to be overwhelmed with the proliferation of rules which while 
originally created with good intentions, now contribute little to the 
fundamental business of the organization, and are contributing to the 
perception that the process is illogical and unfair.  Adding a layer of 
exceptions on top in order to get enable smoother passage through the 
thicket will only make things even more complex; it might be preferrable 
to consider a defoliant. 

I'd also note that there is another TLS extension going for Proposed 
Standard that is in much the same situation:
http://www.watersprings.org/pub/id/draft-salowey-tls-ticket-07.txt

That document is also likely to be widely deployed, is largely backed by a 
single vendor, and has some issues that would require changes that may be 
difficult to make given the advanced state of development. 

Does it make sense to refuse to publish this document because of these 
issues? No.  Is it important that the IETF treat such documents in a 
manner that is uniform as well as logical?  Very much so. 



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