Re: What's an experiment?

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

 



There are two different potential intentions to 'Experimental':

1. to conduct an experiment, as Eliot notes below, i.e.,
   to gain experience that a protocol 'does good' 'in the wild'

2. to gain experience that a protocol does no harm 'in the wild'

I think of IETF Experimental track as being more about #2 than #1.  #1
may be the responsibility of the proponents, but given the IETF doesn't
even conduct conformance testing for standards-track, it it seems
overzealous to expect it to verify a scientific procedure for
experimental-track.

The document should definitely state why experimental is chosen - what
the concerns are, and what to look out for (as to #1). But I would stop
well short of specifying theses, procedures, etc. (#2) for this track.

Joe

Eliot Lear wrote:
> Brian,
> 
> It would seem to me that the purpose of an experimental RFC is to let
> people perform and participate in (rather public) experiments on the
> Internet.  A reasonable standard for "experimental" is that there be a
> thesis and a procedure so that the experiment can be repeated,
> observations can be made, and conclusions can be drawn.  The thesis
> should be clear as to what is being tested, and it should at least pass
> the laugh test.  Further, the standard for design of the experiment
> should provide for the least practicable interference with other ongoing
> operations (experimental or not).
> 
> So, is that simple enough or too simplistic?
> 
> Eliot
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ietf mailing list
> Ietf@xxxxxxxx
> https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: OpenPGP digital signature

_______________________________________________

Ietf@xxxxxxxx
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf

[Index of Archives]     [IETF Annoucements]     [IETF]     [IP Storage]     [Yosemite News]     [Linux SCTP]     [Linux Newbies]     [Fedora Users]