RFC 825

Request for Comments on Requests for Comments ✨

📜 RFC 825, written by J. Postel from ISI in November 1982, for the Network Working Group 💖. It isn't labelled with a category or status. Its title block doesn't say it obsoletes or updates any other RFC 🦋.

okay so this RFC is basically about what RFCs are 🤯 It clears up their status and gives future RFC authors some guidance. In a sense, it's a spec for RFCs themselves. iconic, right? 💅

There are a few reasons to publish a memo as an RFC. You might want to share info with people who are interested, kick off or keep going a discussion about a cool idea, or specify a protocol 🌸

Saying what your RFC is for 🎀

Each RFC is to include, on its title page or in the first or second paragraph, a statement describing the intention of the RFC. Main character energy: say what you're doing up front 🧚

These sample paragraphs can be used to meet this requirement 👑

   Specification

      This RFC specifies a standard for the ARPA Internet community.
      Hosts on the ARPA Internet are expected to adopt and implement
      this standard.

   Discussion

      The purpose of this RFC is to focus discussion on particular
      problems in the ARPA Internet and possible methods of solution.
      No proposed solutions this document are intended as standards
      at this time.  Rather, it is hoped that a general consensus
      will emerge as to the appropriate solution to such problems,
      leading eventually to the adoption of standards.

   Information

      This RFC is presented to members of the ARPA Internet community
      in order to solicit their reactions to the proposals contained
      in it.  While perhaps the issues discussed are not directly
      relevant to the research problems of the ARPA Internet, they
      may be particularly interesting to some researchers and
      implementers.

   Status

      This RFC is issued in response to the need for current
      information about the status and progress of various projects
      in the ARPA Internet community.  The information contained in
      this document is accurate as of the date of publication, but is
      subject to change.  Subsequent RFCs may reflect such changes.

   Report

      This RFC is issued to report on the results of a meeting.  It
      may document significant decisions made that impact the
      implementation of network protocols, or limit or expand the use
      of optional features of protocols.  Other meeting results may
      be indicated including (but not limited to) policy issues,
      technical topics discussed and problems needing further work.

Honestly, you don't have to copy these word for word 🙈 The general intent just has to be clear, though. That's the whole point ✨

How RFCs get shared 🦋

RFCs are shared online. They're stored as public access files, and a short message goes out to the distribution list saying the memo is available. Easy peasy 🍓

People who want the files copy them and print or display them on their own equipment. So the online files have to work with a whole bunch of different printers and screens. That's a lot of different hardware bestie 😭

The format rules 💜

To make sure everything works on all that gear, these are the format rules for RFCs:

• The character codes are ASCII.
• Each page must be limited to 58 lines followed by a form feed on a line by itself.
• Each line must be limited to 72 characters followed by carriage return and line feed.
• No overstriking (or underlining) is allowed.
• These "height" and "width" constraints include any headers, footers, page numbers, or left side indenting.

⚠️ Those height and width limits count everything, headers, footers, page numbers and left-side indenting included. No sneaking extra stuff past them 💀

Where to send stuff 💌

Requests to be added to or removed from the distribution list go to NIC@SRI-NIC. Submissions for RFCs go to POSTEL@USC-ISIF. Bookmark those, periodt 🫶🌈