That vast number does not establish the credibility of the series; the
original ones do.
IP, TCP, UDP, etc would not cease to be used
if either the IETF or the RFC editor disappeared,
or even if their original RFCs forgotten.
The main importance of the RFC series is the
demonstration of continuity
from the early roots and the present IETF work.
The "credibility" of the original standards (not the "series") is
important,
but were there a gap between then and now,
the series would be rendered useless.
Y(J)S
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