Re: Call for comment: <draft-iab-doi-04.txt> (Assigning Digital Object I

Eliot Lear <lear(_at_)cisco(_dot_)com> writes:

> Simon,
>
> On 7/7/15 9:47 AM, Simon Josefsson wrote:
>
> > > Where in the document does it state any such obligation?  This sort of
> > > overstatement and misinformation is how we end up with a 100-message
> > > sillyThread® on this mailing list.
> > The document says:
> >
> > 4.4. Use of DOIs in RFCs
> >
> >    The DOI agency requests that documents that are assigned DOIs in turn
> >    include DOIs when possible when referring to other organizations'
> >    documents.
> > ...
> >    The RFC Style Guide will be updated to describe the rules for
> >    including DOIs in the References sections of RFCs.
> >
> > This goes beyond the alleged scope of _assigning_ DOIs to RFCs, and this
> > change in IETF processes is not covered by the abstract or introduction
> > section in this draft, nor the announcement regarding this draft.
> It is not an obligation but a request, and there is a very big
> difference.
If we intend to honor the request, and I assume the intention is to do
so, the practical results will be the same and any difference is purely
semantic.

> Further, if what we are talking about is adding a DOI a reference
> entry, what is the big deal?  In fact, if there is a known DOI all the
> better to find the source, especially for external references.  Why
> *wouldn't* we encourage that?
Why don't we encourage adding the IP address of hostnames in the URLs in
RFC references?  Someone who doesn't have access to the DNS may find it
easier to locate the resource if they knew the IP address of the host.

I'm not seriously suggesting this, but it appears to be the same kind of
argument for adding DOIs to RFCs.  Quoting the document: "organizations
that use DOIs can have trouble locating documents that don't have DOIs".

My point is that I don't believe that is a valid line of reasoning.

Instead of adding IP addresses or DOIs to references, we can teach these
organizations about how the Internet and URLs work.

There may be good reasons for DOIs, but "it can be added, so why not"
does not strike me as a good reason.  It is apathy.

/Simon

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