[ih] Who owns old RFCs ?

[Dave Crocker]

On 4/24/2020 4:43 AM, Andrew G. Malis via Internet-history wrote:
> Some other SDOs and industry fora create consensus conformance test plans


Historically, the fact that there has NOT been formal 'certification' 
for Internet implementations has been a major feature.  Interoperability 
testing demonstrates that the implementation actually works. 
Comformance testing doesn't.

With the usual caveats about poor memory, I'll add...

There was a wonderful panel, around 1990, including Vint and a very 
vocal OSI advocate from Boeing.  Vint commented about our doing interops 
rather than conformance testing and the benefit of demonstrating actual 
ability to... interoperate.  The Boeing advocate was a few speakers down 
the line, so it was some minutes before she spoke.

Her comments included the firm declaration that interoperability wasn't 
possible without formal conformance testing.  In perhaps the most overt 
public act I've ever seen Vint make, he slowly leaned slightly forward 
and slowly turned his head to look at her.

d/

-- 
Dave Crocker
Brandenburg InternetWorking
bbiw.net