On Feb 19, 2011, at 11:30 AM, Phillip Hallam-Baker wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 10:10 AM, Keith Moore <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> On Feb 18, 2011, at 12:46 PM, Phillip Hallam-Baker wrote:
> 
> > This protocol has established a legacy base, as in it is going to be a part 
> > of the infrastructure we have to work round for decades even if Apple 
> > abandon it tomorrow.
> >
> > It is now futile to attempt modification of the protocol except in limited 
> > ways that do not impact the legacy base.
> >
> > Therefore we need to have a description of the protocol as a standard used 
> > on the Internet.
> 
> Does not follow.   Having a description of the protocol, as it was deployed, 
> documented is usually a good idea.   Having it as standard, not necessarily 
> so.  There are a great many protocols which have "established a legacy base" 
> which are not suitable for standardization.
> 
> Internet Standards are what run on the Internet.

Lots of things run on the Internet that are not standard.

> The reason that I keep proposing process and document changes is because I 
> would like the IETF to be more effective in playing a leadership role in 
> Internet Standards making.

Ideally, IETF's role is to provide advice that helps the Internet and 
Internet-based protocols work well.   Merely blessing things that do not work 
well is not playing a leadership role.

> The Web is bigger than one person or one organization. 
> 
> So expecting to control its growth or development is as futile for us as for 
> anyone else.

Control has nothing to do with it.   But if IETF doesn't fairly reliably give 
good advice, its reputation will decline and IETF will become less relevant.

Keith

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