[ih] Confusion in the RFCs

[Steve Crocker]

FWIW, I was slightly bemused to see the host-host protocol (later called
NCP) published as a standard outside of the RFC series.  I don't recall
seeing a formal decision to do that.  In my mind, although the RFCs
certainly included drafts and preliminary versions of protocols, it seemed
natural to me they would also include the culmination of that process.  The
term "Request for Comments" was intended to convey a spirit of openness and
invitation but it was not intended to be restrictive or exclusionary.  It
was a pro forma requirement that each document be labeled "Request for
Comments," but it was not intended to exclude completed pieces of work.

Steve

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On Fri, Sep 5, 2025 at 7:56 AM John Day via Internet-history <
internet-history at elists.isoc.org> wrote:

> Well, the Telnet meeting (in 1972) occurred considerably before the FTP
> meeting* (Mar 73), so I am not so sure it was a typo.
>
> As I said before back then, RFCs were Requests for *Comments*, not
> Internet Standards, which always seemed pretty absurd. Official documents
> were published separately.
>
> Take care,
> John
>
> * Where Padlipsky made his famous comment: “Sometimes when changing apples
> into oranges, you get lemons.” ;-)
>
> > On Sep 5, 2025, at 06:17, Jim Carpenter <jim at deitygraveyard.com> wrote:
> >
> > Yup. RFC 854 *obsoleted* NIC 18639. I wasn't paying attention. Sorry.
> >
> > But RFC 542 is listed in that handbook for FTP. So including it for
> > TELNET was just a typo.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 5, 2025 at 5:36 AM John Day <jeanjour at comcast.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> Doubtful.  Unless they had a time machine. RFC 854 is dated May 1983.
> >> As I pointed out (or should have) the NIC number is the same as on the
> official Aug 1973 version.
> >>
>
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