> >I think we would do well to require a reference implementation as a condition for Proposed Standards from new working groups or individual submitters...but there are other conditions that we should impose that are far more important. Such as, a requirement for formal cross-area review of the design goals document and of preliminary specifications as a prerequisite before producing a reference implementation. > > > > > > How utterly sclerotic. And what is the IETF, the code police? If ever > there were a need to make the IETF utterly and completely beside the > point, this suggestion would be the perfect way. Heaven forbid the internet Engineering task force should actually do engineering. Remember engineering? That's the discipline of producing efficient designs that meet predetermined goals and requirements. IETF is already plunging toward irrelevance at terminal velocity. The only way to arrest the descent is for it to start producing better quality and more relevant specifications. A good start would be for it to actually pay some attention to the problem definition and rough specification phases and to conduct them in an environment where they can get meaningful review outside of a narrow community. Keith _______________________________________________ Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf