Subject: HTTP to "Standard"? When?

From: "Larry Masinter" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 1999 05:26:12 PDT

If they won't let the working group close, maybe we should try to do
something. Actually, I don't think the WG needs to remain officially
open for this, but...

Under RFC 2026:

   A specification for which significant implementation and successful
   operational experience has been obtained may be elevated to the
   Internet Standard level.  An Internet Standard (which may simply be
   referred to as a Standard) is characterized by a high degree of
   technical maturity and by a generally held belief that the specified
   protocol or service provides significant benefit to the Internet
   community.

   A specification that reaches the status of Standard is assigned a
   number in the STD series while retaining its RFC number.

and

   A specification shall remain at the Draft Standard level for at least
   four (4) months, or until at least one IETF meeting has occurred,
   whichever comes later.

RFC 2616 was published June 1999, so it's been 4 months. We only
have a few errata. RFC 2616 was pretty stable for over a year.
There is significant implementation and successful operational
experience for most of HTTP & HTTP-AUTH, although a few corners
of the specs might need a little more baking.

We might want to do another round on the implementation
reports, and try to get some finer granularity of reporting.
Last time we enumerated every section, but I think we might want
to look more carefully at every MUST, SHOULD, and MAY to see
if there's both implementation and successful operational
experience.

What's a reasonable schedule for advancement to "Standard"?
I'm thinking on the 6-month timeframe. March 2000.

in lunacy,

Larry
-- 
http://www.parc.xerox.com/masinter

---

From: "Roy T. Fielding" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 05 Oct 1999 13:44:26 -0700

>I'm thinking on the 6-month timeframe. March 2000.

Geez, Larry, get a hobby.  ;-)

Seriously, the timeframe would be six months after all the dependent
standards (MIME, URI, etc.) make it to Standard.  I'm pretty sure
I'll be finished with my dissertation by then and ready to retire.

....Roy