Working Group email lists

If you are interested in contributing to a working group, before posting to a working group list, it is advisable to become familiar with the documents the working group is considering, and to review the email list archives to understand the discussions already underway.

A comprehensive list of active IETF working group email lists is available here. 

Please consult the charters for more information about the mailing lists and archives of specific working groups. Charters for active working groups are available on the Active IETF Working Groups Web page.

How to Request a New Working Group Mailing List at the IETF

This information only applies to requesting a Working Group mailing list. Please do not use these instructions to request any other mailing list (for example, for a new discussion topic or to support a BoF). See these guidelines. on how to request a non-WG mailing list.

To create a new Working Group email list at ietf.org:

The working group chair should fill out this template, and send it to ietf-action@ietf.org (when the WG has been approved by IESG):

MAILING LIST REQUEST TEMPLATE

(0) Your (requestor's) full name and email address:

(1) List name (often <WGACRONYM>@ietf.org):
Note: Mailman does not support the renaming of mail lists, so please choose the list name very carefully. In order to rename a Mailman list, the Secretariat must create a new list and migrate the subscribers and archives over. This process can result in data loss as Mailman occasionally encounters issues with the re-import of the archives.

The renaming of mail lists is also prohibited because it breaks the URLs of the list archives at https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/.

(2) Provide a short description of the email list. This description is used when the mailing list is listed with other mailing lists, or in headers, and so forth. It should be as succinct as you can get it, while still identifying what the list is. For example, "Media Gateway Control working group discussion list".

(3) Provide a longer description of the email list (for example, "This list is for discussions relating to the development, clarification, and implementation of the media gateway control protocol defined in
RFC 3015 (and ITU-T Recommendation H.248). Standardization related to this protocol is carried out jointly by the IETF Megaco Working Group and ITU-T Stydy Group 16 Question 3.")

(4) Who are the list Administrators? (usually email addresses of the WG chairs)

(5) Initial list member(s): 

(6) Provide a welcome message for initial subscriber(s) (optional): 

(7) Provide a welcome message for new subscriber(s) (optional): 

(8) What steps are required for subscription?
[ ] Confirm (RECOMMENDED) 
[ ] Approve
[ ] Confirm + Approve

(9) Messages to this list can be posted by: 
[ ] List members only (RECOMMENDED)
[ ] Anyone

(10) Do postings need to be approved by an administrator?
[ ] Yes 
[ ] No (RECOMMENDED)

(11) Provide specific information about how to access and move the
existing archive (optional):

To move an existing WG email list to ietf.org:

The working group chair should fill out the template above, and send it to ietf-action@ietf.org.

To close an existing WG email list at ietf.org:

Send an email to an appropriate Area Director, specifying which list should be closed and why, and ask him/her to forward the approved request to ietf-action@ietf.org.