> The IETF is explicitly named in one of the 2 links. And suppose that the > majority of PC users connected to the Internet stop using TCP/IP and > replace it with TCP/MS... What would be the role of the IETF in such a > picture? What kind of influence would the IETF have on µ$oft? What if > TCP/IP just disappears? Don't WE have to be afraid of an Internet under > one private monopolistic control? Your fears appear to be based more on emotions than facts. To the best of my knowledge, the TCP/IP stack that ships in Windows conforms to the IETF standards and interoperates with the stacks that ship on other platforms -- it is certainly meant to. Several Microsoft employees participate to the IETF, volunteering a sizable amount of their time. Microsoft itself has a history of working with the IETF, including providing financial support to the RFC editor through ISOC. -- Christian Huitema