Yes, I think that this is an excellent idea and should be pursued. I note that this will also give us a URN (RFC3044). Any thoughts on what the URN might in future resolve to? Tom Petch ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Pelletier" <rpelletier@xxxxxxxx> To: "IETF Discussion" <ietf@xxxxxxxx>; "IAOC" <iaoc@xxxxxxxx>; "The IESG" <iesg@xxxxxxxx>; "RFC Editor" <rfc-editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "IAB" <iab@xxxxxxxx>; "Working Group Chairs" <wgchairs@xxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 7:52 PM Subject: ISSN for RFC Series under Consideration > The IETF Trust is considering applying to the U.S. Library of Congress > to obtain an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) for the RFC > Series and would like community input to inform its decision. The Trust > may take up this matter on June 11th. > > An ISSN is applied to serials - print or non-print publications issued > in parts. A serial is expected to continue indefinitely. Serials > include magazines, newspapers, annuals, journals, proceedings, > transactions of societies, and monographic series. Other SDOs, such as > the IEEE, have obtained ISSNs for their publications. A single ISSN > uniquely identifies a title regardless of language or country in which > published, without the burden of a complex bibliographic description. > The ISSN itself has no significance other than the unique identification > of a serial. > > The Trust believes there are advantages to indentifying the RFC Series > with an ISSN. Among them, > 1. Make reference to the series compact and globally unique; > 2. Make the series, and individual RFCs, easier to reference in some > contexts; > 3. Results in accurate citing of serials by scholars, researchers, > abstracters, and librarians; > 4. ISSN registrations are maintained in an international data base and > are made available in the ISSN Register online > > According to the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/issn/, for serials > available only in online versions, the ISSN should appear on the title > screen or home page and/or in the masthead or other areas where > information about publisher, frequency, subscribing, copyright, etc. is > given. > > There is no cost associated with obtaining ISSNs. > > Ray Pelletier > IAD > Trustee > > _______________________________________________ > IETF mailing list > IETF@xxxxxxxx > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf _______________________________________________ IETF mailing list IETF@xxxxxxxx https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf