[rfc-i] independent submissions to RFC Editor

[Bob Braden]

  *> > It is also true that there is an unfortunate tendency of independent
  *> > submissions to raise substantial issues of conflict with the standards
  *> > process (for some members of the IESG, nearly EVERYTHING conflicts with
  *> > the standards process), and also for independent submissions to be of
  *> > below-acceptable editorial quality, since they have not been ground
  *> > down in a working group.  (I am sure neither is true for YOUR document,
  *> > ;-), but some that precede yours in the queue are certainly guilty.)
  *> 
  *> Out of curiosity: has any progress been made on this issue? Can any 
  *> progress be expected in the near future?

Julian,

I am not sure which issue you mean -- the overload of the RFC Editor,
the problem of conflicts with the standards process, or the sub-standard
quality of many independent submissions.

We are making progress on reviewing independent submissions, with the
considerable help of the RFC Editorial Board and a few other fine
citizens who have produced reviews for us.  We are seeing an increasing
number of almost-standards documents -- legitimate, serious technical
specs that are not in the IETF because there is not currently a working
group in the area, or the existing working group has too narrow a charter
to consider them.  As a result, they come to the RFC Editor without blame
for an end-run, but OTOH they have not received the level of editorial
review that a working group (ideally) provides.  We are trying to either
pass these to the relevant AD or to find a serious external reviewer
for each.

I can't say there has been much progress on sub-standard submissions. :-((

  *> 
  *> If the answer to both is "no", I'd suggest that the RFC Editor starts to 
  *> warn authors of individual submissions that their documents aren't going 
  *> to be published in the foreseeable future. That way, they would at least 
  *> be made aware that they need to either find an interested AD, or to move 
  *> their work into a Working Group to get it published.
  *> 

Note that the rules give priority to publication of IETF documents.
So, if an author can persuade an AD to take on a document, all
interests will be served.

Bob Braden for the RFC Editor.

  *> Best regards, Julian
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