Subject: Re: I-D Action:draft-pantos-http-live-streaming-01.txt

From: "Roy T. Fielding" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 13:57:45 +0200

On Jun 9, 2009, at 4:45 AM, [email-masked] wrote:

> A New Internet-Draft is available from the on-line Internet-Drafts  
> directories.
>
> 	Title           : HTTP Live Streaming
> 	Author(s)       : R. Pantos
> 	Filename        : draft-pantos-http-live-streaming-01.txt
> 	Pages           : 17
> 	Date            : 2009-06-08
>
> This document describes a protocol for transmitting unbounded streams
> of multimedia data over HTTP.  It specifies the data format of the
> files and the actions to be taken by the server (sender) and the
> clients (receivers) of the streams.  It describes version 1.0 of this
> protocol.
>
> A URL for this Internet-Draft is:
> http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-pantos-http-live- 
> streaming-01.txt

I find this draft to be quite annoying.  It doesn't have anything
to do with HTTP or live, or really even streaming -- the title is
just from the marketing term that Apple has chosen to describe this
concept in general.

What the draft defines is a set of media type extensions to the
unregistered "audio/x-mpegurl" media type (M3U Playlist format)
that provide additional information for an indirect request of a
stream via sequential requests on the listed URIs.  While I think
that might be a fine idea, it should start by registering the
media type being extended, and the title/introduction should reflect
what the document defines so that the right people will review it
prior to publication.  I don't like it when the IETF is abused
for marketing purposes.

....Roy

---

From: Dave Cridland <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:28:12 +0100

On Tue Jun  9 12:57:45 2009, Roy T. Fielding wrote:
>   I don't like it when the IETF is abused
> for marketing purposes.

To be fair:

a) This one is *just* a poorly written draft, rather than also being  
filled with Apple product name-dropping, and gushing remarks about  
The Jobs.

b) Apple are, at least, producing a public specification in a  
reasonable forum for discussion.

Overall, then, credit where credit is due - Apple do appear to be  
improving. Maybe it'll rub off on some of the other large and trendy  
companies.

Dave.
-- 
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---

From: james woodyatt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 10:43:15 -0700

On Jun 9, 2009, at 05:28, Dave Cridland wrote:
>
> To be fair:
>
> a) This one is *just* a poorly written draft [...].

...as an individual contribution,
...in the Informational category.

> reasonable forum for discussion.

Moreover, Mr. Pantos chose IETF rather than some slushpile with looser  
editorial standards.  We should be happy when a company as secretive  
as Apple allows their employees to submit drafts to us, even--  
especially-- when the manuscripts that land in our slushpile are not  
yet ready for immediate publication.

If IETF doesn't think the information in this draft is worth compiling  
into a document worthy of sending to the RFC Editor, then that would  
be good for Mr. Pantos to know.  It would probably save him a lot of  
effort and frustration.  I'm sure he looks forward to whatever  
constructive feedback IETF participants can provide, and I can assure  
everyone here that nobody at Apple feels their employment status  
entitles them to any special consideration for their individual  
contributions.

--
james woodyatt <[email-masked]>
member of technical staff, communications engineering