Documentation conventions
The rules for writing and sharing Network Working Group notes: write anything, keep it timely, and send it around.
Crocker, S.D., "Documentation conventions", RFC 10, DOI 10.17487/RFC0010, July 1969, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc10>.
@misc{rfc10,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 10,
howpublished = {RFC 10},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC0010},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc10},
author = {S.D. Crocker},
title = {{Documentation conventions}},
pagetotal = 3,
year = 1969,
month = jul,
} RFC text
Network Working Group S. Crocker
RFC-10 UCLA
29 July 1969
DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS
This note is a revision of NWG/RFC #3
The Network Working Group seems to consist of Steve Carr at Utah, Elmer
Shapiro and Bill English SRI, Steve Crocker at UCLA, John Haefner at
RAND, Paul Rovner and Jim Curry at Lincoln Labs. Membership is not closed.
The Network Working Group (NWG) is concerned with the HOST software, the
strategies for using the network, and initial experience with the network.
Documentation of the NWG's effort is through notes such as this. Notes
may be produced at any site by anybody and included in this series.
CONTENT
The content of a NWG note may be any thought, suggestion, etc. related to
the HOST software or other aspect of the network. Notes are encouraged to
be timely rather than polished. Philosophical positions without examples
or other specifics, specific suggestions or implementation techniques
without introductory or background explication, and explicit questions
without any attempted answers are all acceptable. The minimum length for
a NWG note is one sentence.
These standards (or lack of them) are stated explicitly for two reasons.
First, there is a tendency to view a written statement as ipso facto
authoritative, and we hope to promote the exchange and discussion of
considerably less than authoritative ideas. Second, there is a natural
hesitancy to publish something unpolished, and we hope to ease this
inhibition.
FORM
Every NWG note should bear the following information:
1. "Network Working Group"
"Request for Comments:"x (x underscored)
where x is a serial number (x underscored)
Serial numbers are assigned by Steve Crocker at UCLA
2. Author and affiliation
3. Date
4. Title. The title need not be unique.
DISTRIBUTION
One copy only will bve sent from the author's site to:
1. Steve Crocker, UCLA
2. Ron Stoughton, UCSB
3. Elmer Shapiro, SRI
4. Steve Carr, Utah
5. John Haefner, RAND
6. Paul Rovner, LL
7. Bob Kahn, BB&N
8. Larry Roberts, ARPA
9. Jerry Cole, SDC
Reproduction if desired may be handled locally.
ADDRESSES
Below are the most current addresses I have. Please correct as necessary.
Steve Crocker UCLA
3732 Boelter Hall (213) 825-4864
UCLA 825-2543 Sec'y
Los Angeles, California 90024
Ron Stoughton UCSB
Computer Research Lab. (805) 961-3221
UCSB
Santa Barbara, California 93106
Elmer Shapiro SRI
Stanford Research Institute (415)326-6200
333 Ravenswood
Menlo Park, California 94025
Steve Carr Utah
Computer Science Dept. (801) 322-8224
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah 84ll2
John Haefner RAND
The Rand Corp. (213) 393-0411
1700 Main Street
Santa Monica, California 90406
Paul D. Rovner LL
Mass. Inst. of Tech. (617) 662-5500
Lincoln Laboratory B-115 X7211
P.O. Box 73
Lexington, Mass. 02173
Robert Kahn BBN
Bolt, Beranek and Newman (617) 491-1850
50 Moulton St. 49l-1868
Cambridge, Mass. 02138
Larry Roberts ARPA
ODS/ARPA (202) OX 7-8663
3D167 Pentagon OX 7-8654
Washington, D.C. 2030l
Jerry Cole SDC
7842 Croyden 2500 Colorado
L.A., California 90045 Santa Monica, California 90406
(213) 393-9411
X438
X6019 Sec'y
AI ELI5
On this page
§1The Network Working Group
This note, dated 29 July 1969 and written by S. Crocker at UCLA, is a revision of NWG/RFC #3. It lists the group's members at the time: Steve Carr at Utah, Elmer Shapiro and Bill English at SRI, Steve Crocker at UCLA, John Haefner at RAND, and Paul Rovner and Jim Curry at Lincoln Labs. Membership is not closed.
The Network Working Group (NWG) is concerned with the HOST software, the strategies for using the network, and initial experience with the network. Its work is documented through notes that may be produced at any site by anybody.
A small group of people is building something new together, and they write notes to each other to keep track of ideas.
§2What a Note May Contain
The content of a note may be any thought or suggestion related to the HOST software or other aspect of the network. Notes are encouraged to be timely rather than polished. Philosophical positions without examples, suggestions without background, and questions without attempted answers are all acceptable. The minimum length is one sentence.
The RFC gives two reasons for being so relaxed. First, people tend to treat anything written down as authoritative, and the group wants to encourage discussion of less than authoritative ideas. Second, people hesitate to publish something unpolished, and the group hopes to ease that.
You are allowed to share half-baked ideas, even a single sentence, because the point is to talk, not to be perfect.
§3Form of a Note
Every note should carry four things: the words Network Working Group followed by Request for Comments: and a serial number; the author and affiliation; the date; and a title. The title need not be unique. Serial numbers are assigned by Steve Crocker at UCLA.
Each note gets a number, a name tag for the writer, a date and a title, like labeling a drawing.
§4Distribution and Addresses
One copy only is sent from the author's site to each of nine people, starting with Steve Crocker at UCLA and ending with Jerry Cole at SDC; the list also includes Bob Kahn at BB&N and Larry Roberts at ARPA. Reproduction, if desired, may be handled locally.
The rest of the note gives the current postal addresses and telephone numbers of those people and asks readers to correct them as necessary.
You mail one copy to each person on the list, and if someone wants more copies they can make them at home.