Russ, I think that it is absolutely critical that the IETF be able to
attach a note to an RFC and that this note not simply be a
recommendation.
We can believe all we want that the IETF stream is just one stream and
that all other streams are independent. However, the RFC process is
very tightly tied to the IETF, and I think it is reasonable for the
IESG to be able to raise a note in an exceptional circumstance.
I believe that this serves as an important check on the independent
stream, just as the independent stream is supposed to serve as an
important check on the IETF stream.
Part of my thinking is motivated by my belief that the IETF has more
structures in place and a broader community of people reviewing its
work than the independent stream. I fully understand that there are
people who are involved/interested in the independent stream who are
not involved in the IETF. I believe that independent+ietf is a
broader community than IETF alone. (We assume that it is a
significantly broader community; I've never been given data to back up
that assumption, but I'm happy to hold it for the moment.) However I
doubt that community is sufficiently broader that it should be able to
overrule the IETF. Even if the community was sufficiently broader,
I'm still not sure that I would be comfortable with it being able to
overrule the IETF of a comment that the IETF wanted to place on an
independent stream document.
However, the IESG is not the IETF. I'd personally be happy to ignore
that and assume it would all work out. I'd also be happy with a
mechanism where the IESG could propose a note, and the RFC editor had
the option of accepting the note or asking the IESG to last-call its
note within the IETF community.
I would not consider it acceptable if the note were purely advisory.
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