RFC 3233

Defining the IETF

📅 published February 2002, from ietf

RFC 3233: Defining the IETF 🎀

Okay bestie, this is BCP 58 💅 from the Network Working Group, and it's a Best Current Practice dated February 2002. It was written by P. Hoffman (Internet Mail Consortium) and S. Bradner (Harvard University). The title block doesn't list anything it obsoletes or updates, so no drama there ✨

Status of this Memo 🧚

This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and it's literally asking for discussion and suggestions for improvements 🫶 Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002). All Rights Reserved.

Abstract 💖

This doc gives a more concrete definition of "the IETF" as it's understood today. Tons of RFCs refer to "the IETF", and lots of important IETF docs talk about it like it's already a fully defined entity... but no IETF doc correctly defines what the IETF is 💀

1. Introduction 🦋

Many RFCs refer to "the IETF", and important IETF documents treat it as an already-defined entity. However, no IETF document correctly defines what the IETF is. So this doc gives a more concrete definition of "the IETF" as it's understood today 🫶

2. Defining the IETF 👑

Okay, so the main standards process doc, BCP 9 ("The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3") [BCP 9], never actually defines the IETF 🙈 Meanwhile, BCP 11 ("The Organizations Involved in the IETF Standards Process") [BCP 11] says the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is an open global community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers producing technical specifications for the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet. Iconic ✨

It's important to note that the IETF is not a corporation 💅 It's an unincorporated, freestanding organization. The Internet Society (ISOC) partially supports it. ISOC is an international non-profit incorporated in the US, with thousands of individual and corporate members worldwide who pay membership fees. ISOC provides a bunch of services to the IETF, including insurance and some financial and logistical support 🍓

As BCP 11 explains, Internet standardization is an organized activity of ISOC, and the ISOC Board of Trustees is responsible for ratifying the procedures and rules of the Internet standards process. BUT the IETF is not a formal subset of ISOC. For example, you don't have to join ISOC to be a member of the IETF. Main character energy 🦋

There is no board of directors for the IETF, no formally signed bylaws, no treasurer, and so on 💀 The structure of the IETF (its leadership, its working groups, the definition of IETF membership, and so on) is described in detail in BCP 11. Procedures for choosing leadership are described in detail in BCP 10 🌈

So when RFCs say "the IETF", they're describing the group that acts in accordance with BCP 9, BCP 10, and BCP 11. Periodt 💜

3. Security Considerations 🔥

Okay, this part is serious bestie. All IETF protocols must describe the security aspects of the environment in which they will be used 😭 The IETF also has a Security Area that discusses the security aspects of IETF protocols. Descriptive documents such as this one do not affect the security of the Internet, so this doc itself isn't the security risk 🫶

A. References 📚

  • [BCP 9] Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision 3", BCP 9, RFC 2026, October 1996.
  • [BCP 10] Galvin, J., "IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall Process: Operation of the Nominating and Recall Committees", BCP 10, RFC 2727, February 2000.
  • [BCP 11] Hovey, R. and S. Bradner, "The Organizations Involved in the IETF Standards Process", BCP 11, RFC 2028, October 1996.

B. Editors' Addresses 💌

Paul Hoffman
Internet Mail Consortium
127 Segre Place
Santa Cruz, CA  95060  USA

EMail: phoffman@imc.org


Scott Bradner
Harvard University
29 Oxford St
Cambridge MA 02138

EMail: sob@harvard.edu

Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2002). All Rights Reserved.

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Acknowledgement 🫶

Funding for the RFC Editor function is currently provided by the Internet Society ✨

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