IETF Guidelines for Conduct
A short code of conduct for the people who write Internet standards: be respectful, argue ideas not people, and think about the whole Internet.
Moonesamy, S., Ed., "IETF Guidelines for Conduct", BCP 54, RFC 7154, DOI 10.17487/RFC7154, March 2014, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7154>.
@misc{rfc7154,
series = {Request for Comments},
number = 7154,
howpublished = {RFC 7154},
publisher = {RFC Editor},
doi = {10.17487/RFC7154},
url = {https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7154},
author = {S. Moonesamy},
title = {{IETF Guidelines for Conduct}},
pagetotal = 7,
year = 2014,
month = mar,
} RFC text
Contents
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) S. Moonesamy, Ed.
Request for Comments: 7154 March 2014
BCP: 54
Obsoletes: 3184
Category: Best Current Practice
ISSN: 2070-1721
IETF Guidelines for Conduct
Abstract
This document provides a set of guidelines for personal interaction
in the Internet Engineering Task Force. The guidelines recognize the
diversity of IETF participants, emphasize the value of mutual
respect, and stress the broad applicability of our work.
This document is an updated version of the guidelines for conduct
originally published in RFC 3184.
Status of This Memo
This memo documents an Internet Best Current Practice.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Further information on
BCPs is available in Section 2 of RFC 5741.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc7154.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2014 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
Provisions Relating to IETF Documents
(http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
publication of this document. Please review these documents
carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect
to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must
include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of
the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
described in the Simplified BSD License.
This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF
Contributions published or made publicly available before November
10, 2008. The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this
material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow
modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process.
Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling
the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified
outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may
not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format
it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other
than English.
1. Introduction
The work of the IETF relies on cooperation among a diverse range of
people with different ideas and communication styles. The IETF
strives, through these guidelines for conduct, to create and maintain
an environment in which every person is treated with dignity,
decency, and respect. People who participate in the IETF are
expected to behave in a professional manner as we work together to
develop interoperable technologies for the Internet. We aim to abide
by these guidelines as we build consensus in person and through email
discussions. If conflicts arise, they are resolved according to the
procedures outlined in RFC 2026 [RFC2026].
This document obsoletes RFC 3184 [RFC3184], as it is an updated
version of the guidelines for conduct.
2. Guidelines for Conduct
1. IETF participants extend respect and courtesy to their colleagues
at all times.
IETF participants come from diverse origins and backgrounds; there
can be different expectations or assumptions. Regardless of these
individual differences, participants treat their colleagues with
respect as persons especially when it is difficult to agree with
them: treat other participants as you would like to be treated.
English is the de facto language of the IETF. However, it is not
the native language of many IETF participants. All participants,
particularly those with English as a first language, attempt to
accommodate the needs of other participants by communicating
clearly, including speaking slowly and limiting the use of slang.
When faced with English that is difficult to understand, IETF
participants make a sincere effort to understand each other and
engage in conversation to clarify what was meant.
2. IETF participants have impersonal discussions.
We dispute ideas by using reasoned argument rather than through
intimidation or personal attack. Try to provide data and facts
for your standpoints so the rest of the participants who are
sitting on the sidelines watching the discussion can form an
opinion. The discussion is easier when the response to a simple
question is a polite answer [SQPA].
3. IETF participants devise solutions for the global Internet that
meet the needs of diverse technical and operational environments.
The mission of the IETF is to produce high-quality, relevant
technical and engineering documents that influence the way people
design, use, and manage the Internet in such a way as to make the
Internet work better. The IETF puts its emphasis on technical
competence, rough consensus, and individual participation, and it
needs to be open to competent input from any source. We
understand that "scaling is the ultimate problem" and that many
ideas that are quite workable on a small scale fail this crucial
test.
IETF participants use their best engineering judgment to find the
best solution for the whole Internet, not just the best solution
for any particular network, technology, vendor, or user. While we
all have ideas that may stand improvement from time to time, no
one shall ever knowingly contribute advice or text that would make
a standard technically inferior.
4. Individuals are prepared to contribute to the ongoing work of the
group.
We follow the intellectual property guidelines outlined in BCP 79
[RFC3979]. IETF participants read the relevant Internet-Drafts,
RFCs, and email archives in order to familiarize themselves with
the technology under discussion. Working Group sessions run on a
very limited time schedule, and sometimes participants have to
limit their questions. The work of the group will continue on the
mailing list, and questions can be asked and answered on the
mailing list. It can be a challenge to participate in a Working
Group without knowing the history of longstanding Working Group
debates. Information about a Working Group including its charter
and milestones is available on the IETF datatracker site [TRACK]
or from the Working Group Chair.
3. Security Considerations
The IETF guidelines for conduct do not directly affect the security
of the Internet. However, it is to be noted that there is an
expectation that no one shall ever knowingly contribute advice or
text that may adversely affect the security of the Internet without
describing all known or foreseen risks and threats to potential
implementers and users that they are aware of.
4. Acknowledgements
Most of the text in this document is based on RFC 3184, which was
written by Susan Harris. The editor would like to acknowledge that
this document would not exist without her contribution. Mike O'Dell
wrote the first draft of the Guidelines for Conduct, and many of his
thoughts, statements, and observations are included in this version.
Many useful editorial comments were supplied by Dave Crocker.
Members of the POISSON Working Group provided many significant
additions to the text.
The editor would like to thank Jari Arkko, Brian Carpenter, Dave
Cridland, Dave Crocker, Spencer Dawkins, Alan DeKok, Lars Eggert,
David Farmer, Adrian Farrel, Stephen Farrell, Russ Housley, Eliot
Lear, Barry Leiba, Ines Robles, Eduardo A. Suarez, Brian Trammell,
and Sean Turner for contributing towards the improvement of the
document.
5. References
5.1. Informative References
[RFC2026] Bradner, S., "The Internet Standards Process -- Revision
3", BCP 9, RFC 2026, October 1996.
[RFC2418] Bradner, S., "IETF Working Group Guidelines and
Procedures", BCP 25, RFC 2418, September 1998.
[RFC3184] Harris, S., "IETF Guidelines for Conduct", BCP 54, RFC
3184, October 2001.
[RFC3683] Rose, M., "A Practice for Revoking Posting Rights to IETF
Mailing Lists", BCP 83, RFC 3683, March 2004.
[RFC3934] Wasserman, M., "Updates to RFC 2418 Regarding the
Management of IETF Mailing Lists", BCP 25, RFC 3934,
October 2004.
[RFC3979] Bradner, S., Ed., "Intellectual Property Rights in IETF
Technology", BCP 79, RFC 3979, March 2005.
[SQPA] Perlman, R., "Miss Manners meets the IETF", March 2002,
<http://www.ietf.org/proceedings/53/slides/plenary-3/
index.html>
[TRACK] "The IETF Datatracker Tool", Web Application:
<https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg>, Version 5.0.2.
Appendix A. Reporting Transgressions of the Guidelines
An individual can report transgressions of the guidelines for conduct
to the IETF Chair or the IESG.
Appendix B. Consequences of Transgressing the Guidelines
This document does not discuss measures that can be taken against a
participant transgressing the guidelines for conduct.
RFC 2418 [RFC2418] describes a measure where a Working Group Chair
has the authority to refuse to grant the floor to any individual who
is unprepared or otherwise covering inappropriate material, or who,
in the opinion of the Chair, is disrupting the Working Group process.
RFC 3683 [RFC3683] describes "posting rights" action to remove the
posting rights of an individual. RFC 3934 [RFC3934] describes a
measure through which a Working Group Chair can suspend posting
privileges of a disruptive individual for a short period of time.
Appendix C. Changes from RFC 3184
o Added text about the IETF striving to create an environment in
which every person is treated with dignity, decency, and respect.
o Added text about contributing advice or text that may affect the
security of the Internet.
o The recommendation that newcomers should not interfere with the
ongoing process in Section 2 was removed as it can be read as
discouraging newcomers from participating in discussions.
o The text about the goal of the IETF was replaced with text about
the mission statement and what the IETF puts its emphasis on.
o The text about "think globally" was removed as the meaning was not
clear.
o The text about English as a first language was clarified.
o The guideline about impersonal discussions was reworded as a
positive statement.
Author's Address
S. Moonesamy (editor)
76, Ylang Ylang Avenue
Quatres Bornes
Mauritius
EMail: sm+ietf@elandsys.com
AI ELI5
On this page
§1Why the IETF Has Conduct Guidelines
The work of the IETF relies on cooperation among a diverse range of people with different ideas and communication styles. Through these guidelines the IETF strives to create and maintain an environment in which every person is treated with dignity, decency, and respect.
Participants are expected to behave in a professional manner while they develop interoperable technologies for the Internet, whether they build consensus in person or through email discussions. If conflicts arise, they are resolved according to the procedures in RFC 2026.
This document obsoletes RFC 3184, of which it is an updated version.
Lots of different people work together on the Internet, so they agree on how to treat each other. Everybody should feel respected.
- Respect and courtesyTreat colleagues as you would like to be treated, and communicate clearly.
- Impersonal discussionDispute ideas with reasoned argument, not intimidation or personal attack.
- Global solutionsFind the best solution for the whole Internet, not one network or vendor.
- Be preparedRead the drafts, RFCs and archives before contributing.
§2.1Respect and Courtesy
The first guideline says IETF participants extend respect and courtesy to their colleagues at all times. People come from diverse origins and backgrounds and may have different expectations or assumptions. Regardless of those differences, participants treat colleagues with respect as persons, especially when it is difficult to agree with them: treat other participants as you would like to be treated.
The guideline also deals with language. English is the de facto language of the IETF, but it is not the native language of many participants. All participants, particularly those with English as a first language, attempt to accommodate others by communicating clearly, including speaking slowly and limiting the use of slang. When English is difficult to understand, participants make a sincere effort to understand each other and engage in conversation to clarify what was meant.
Treat other people the way you want to be treated. If someone is still learning your language, talk slowly and skip the slang.
§2.2Impersonal Discussion
The second guideline is that IETF participants have impersonal discussions. Ideas are disputed by reasoned argument rather than through intimidation or personal attack.
Participants are encouraged to provide data and facts for their standpoints, so that the rest of the participants, who are sitting on the sidelines watching the discussion, can form an opinion. The RFC adds that discussion is easier when the response to a simple question is a polite answer, and cites a talk titled "Miss Manners meets the IETF".
Appendix C notes that this guideline was reworded as a positive statement compared with RFC 3184.
If you disagree, talk about the idea, not about the person. Bring facts so the people listening can decide for themselves.
§2.3Solutions for the Global Internet
The third guideline is that participants devise solutions for the global Internet that meet the needs of diverse technical and operational environments. It restates the IETF mission: to produce high-quality, relevant technical and engineering documents that influence the way people design, use, and manage the Internet so as to make the Internet work better. The IETF puts its emphasis on technical competence, rough consensus, and individual participation, and needs to be open to competent input from any source.
Participants are asked to use their best engineering judgment to find the best solution for the whole Internet, not just for any particular network, technology, vendor, or user. They also bear in mind that "scaling is the ultimate problem", since many ideas that work on a small scale fail that test. No one shall ever knowingly contribute advice or text that would make a standard technically inferior.
When you help design something for the whole world, pick what works best for everyone, not just for your own team or company.
§2.4Coming Prepared
The fourth guideline is that individuals are prepared to contribute to the ongoing work of the group. Participants follow the intellectual property guidelines in BCP 79 (RFC 3979) and read the relevant Internet-Drafts, RFCs, and email archives to become familiar with the technology under discussion.
Working Group sessions run on a very limited time schedule, so participants sometimes have to limit their questions. The work continues on the mailing list, where questions can be asked and answered. Information about a Working Group, including its charter and milestones, is available on the IETF datatracker site or from the Working Group Chair.
Read the background before you join the conversation, and save extra questions for the group's mailing list when the meeting runs out of time.
§3Security Considerations
The guidelines for conduct do not directly affect the security of the Internet. The RFC does note an expectation, though, that no one shall ever knowingly contribute advice or text that may adversely affect the security of the Internet without describing all known or foreseen risks and threats to potential implementers and users that they are aware of.
If you know your idea could make the Internet less safe, you must say so clearly instead of keeping it quiet.
§7Reporting and Consequences
An individual can report transgressions of the guidelines to the IETF Chair or the IESG (Appendix A). The document itself does not discuss measures that can be taken against a participant who transgresses them (Appendix B).
It points to existing mechanisms instead. RFC 2418 lets a Working Group Chair refuse the floor to an individual who is unprepared or covering inappropriate material, or who is disrupting the process. RFC 3683 describes a "posting rights" action that removes the posting rights of an individual, and RFC 3934 describes a way for a Working Group Chair to suspend posting privileges of a disruptive individual for a short period of time.
If someone breaks the rules, you can tell the leaders. This document does not list punishments, but other documents explain how a meeting chair can stop someone from talking or posting.
§8Changes from RFC 3184
Appendix C lists what changed from RFC 3184:
- Added text about the IETF striving to create an environment in which every person is treated with dignity, decency, and respect.
- Added text about contributing advice or text that may affect the security of the Internet.
- Removed the recommendation that newcomers should not interfere with the ongoing process, because it can be read as discouraging newcomers from participating.
- Replaced the text about the goal of the IETF with text about the mission statement and what the IETF puts its emphasis on.
- Removed the "think globally" text because its meaning was not clear.
- Clarified the text about English as a first language.
- Reworded the impersonal discussion guideline as a positive statement.
The authors cleaned up the old rules: they added kinder wording, removed a line that might scare off newcomers, and made a few unclear parts clearer.