Hi -
I got curious when I saw a draft being published with a version
number of -33 -
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-kunze-ark-33. I got
even more curious when I noticed that -00 of that ID had been
uploaded back in 2001. So I read the intro in the -33 version and
found this:
This is a transitional draft. The ARK Alliance Technical Working
Group (https://wiki.lyrasis.org/display/ARKs/Technical+Working+Group)
is in the process of revising the ARK spec via a series of Internet-
Drafts. While the spec is in transition, new implementors should
follow https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/draft-kunze-ark-18.
-18 having been uploaded in 2013.
I'm not sure there's anything that can or should be done, but IDs
are supposed to be transient documents that either go away or lead
to an RFC. Looking at the update history for this document, I'm
pretty sure the draft system has been co-opted to be a standards
repository for this specification. AFAICT, this draft has never
been submitted - in 20 years! - to any RFC stream for publication
and that's at least a violation of the spirit of the ID system.
I.e. a violation of:
It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
material or to cite them other than as "work in progress.
Perhaps we may want to think about making URL references to
previous (or long expired) versions quite a bit less stable to
avoid gaming of the system like this? Or prohibit updates of
draft chains once a draft has been expired for a year?
Or leave it be?
Mike
