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Re: How to pay $47 for a copy of RFC 793

2011-05-08 18:07:15
A bargain!  RFC 5996 goes for $58.

Does it come leather-bound with the title gold-stamped on the cover?

On May 9, 2011, at 1:06 AM, Bob Braden wrote:

I just discovered an astonishing example of misinformation, shall we say, in 
the IEEE electric power community. There is an IEEE standards document C37.118, 
entitled (you don't care) "IEEE Standard for Synchrophasors for Power Systems 
C37-118(TM)-2005", which is currently of great importance for the 
instrumentation of the national power grid. I just noticed that it references 
RFC 793, and for curiosity looked to see how it was referenced. I found:

   [B8] RFC 793-1981,Transmission Control Protocol DARPA Internet Program 
Protocol Specification.[12]

OK so far, except maybe for the DARPA part. Now look at footnote 12:

   12   RFC standards are available from Global Engineering Documents, 15 
Inverness Way East, Englewood, CO 80112, USA (http://global.ihs.com/).

Going to that web site, you find:

RFC 793 - Complete Document
Revision / Edition: 81    Chg:    Date: 09/00/81
TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROTOCOL DARPA INTERNET PROGRAM PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION

Comments:
Superseding Document:
Page Count:     90
In Stock:       Yes
Hardcopy Price:          $ 47.00        
<cart_button.gif><http://global.ihs.com/shopping_cart.cfm?currency_code=USD&customer_id=21254C2B2E0A&shopping_cart_id=2925583B2B4B30204E5B5D37220A&rid=Z56&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&mid=5280&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&country_code=US&lang_code=ENGL&item_s_key=00123981&item_key_date=180331&electronic_delivery=N&shopping_cart_action=insert&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&input_doc_title=&origin=>

and:

Customers who purchased RFC 793 have also purchased
        
EIA-748<http://global.ihs.com/doc_detail.cfm?currency_code=USD&customer_id=21254C2B2E0A&shopping_cart_id=2925583B2B4B30204E5B5D37220A&rid=Z56&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&mid=5280&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&country_code=US&lang_code=ENGL&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&input_doc_title=&item_s_key=00280332&item_key_date=920531&origin=DSSC>
 : EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
        IETF RFC 
2460<http://global.ihs.com/doc_detail.cfm?currency_code=USD&customer_id=21254C2B2E0A&shopping_cart_id=2925583B2B4B30204E5B5D37220A&rid=Z56&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&mid=5280&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&country_code=US&lang_code=ENGL&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&input_doc_title=&item_s_key=00503465&item_key_date=010031&origin=DSSC>
 : INTERNET PROTOCOL, VERSION 6 (IPV6) SPECIFICATION
        RFC 
768<http://global.ihs.com/doc_detail.cfm?currency_code=USD&customer_id=21254C2B2E0A&shopping_cart_id=2925583B2B4B30204E5B5D37220A&rid=Z56&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&mid=5280&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&country_code=US&lang_code=ENGL&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&input_doc_title=&item_s_key=00122904&item_key_date=190403&origin=DSSC>
 : USER DATAGRAM PROTOCOL
        RFC 
791<http://global.ihs.com/doc_detail.cfm?currency_code=USD&customer_id=21254C2B2E0A&shopping_cart_id=2925583B2B4B30204E5B5D37220A&rid=Z56&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&mid=5280&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&country_code=US&lang_code=ENGL&input_doc_number=RFC%20793&input_doc_title=&item_s_key=00122565&item_key_date=180331&origin=DSSC>
 : INTERNET PROTOCOL DARPA INTERNET PROGRAM PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION

Now, it has always been IETF's (and even before there was an IETF, Jon 
Postel's) policy to allow people to sell RFCs. What astonishes me is that 
clever people in the IEEE don't know RFCs are available free online. I guess 
RFCs remain so counter-cultural that industrial types don't get it. I wonder 
how many other IEEE standards contain similar RFC-for-pay references..

Bob Braden

<ATT00002..txt>

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