How to pay $47 for a copy of RFC 793

Bob Braden <braden@xxxxxxx> · Sun, 08 May 2011 15:06:59 -0700



    I just discovered an astonishing example of misinformation, shall we
    say, in the IEEE electric power community. There is an IEEE
    standards document C37.118, entitled (you don't care) "IEEE Standard
    for Synchrophasors for Power Systems C37-118(TM)-2005", which is
    currently of great importance for the instrumentation of the
    national power grid. I just noticed that it references RFC 793, and
    for curiosity looked to see how it was referenced. I found:

    
       [B8] RFC 793-1981,Transmission Control Protocol DARPA Internet
    Program Protocol Specification.[12]

    
    OK so far, except maybe for the DARPA part. Now look at footnote 12:

    
       12   RFC standards are available from Global Engineering
    Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, CO 80112, USA
    (http://global.ihs.com/).

    
    Going to that web site, you find:

    
          RFC 793 
                - Complete Document 
        
        
           Revision / Edition: 81   
                Chg:   
                Date: 09/00/81  
            
        
            TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROTOCOL DARPA INTERNET PROGRAM
            PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION 
          
        
           Comments: 
          
             
           Superseding Document: 
          
             
           Page Count:  
           90  
        
        
           In Stock:  
           Yes  
        
        
           Hardcopy Price:  
           $ 47.00  
           
        
    and:

    
          Customers
              who purchased RFC 793 have also purchased
        
        
          EIA-748
            : EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
        
        
          IETF
              RFC 2460 : INTERNET PROTOCOL, VERSION 6 (IPV6)
            SPECIFICATION
        
        
          RFC
              768 : USER DATAGRAM PROTOCOL
        
        
          RFC
              791 : INTERNET PROTOCOL DARPA INTERNET PROGRAM
            PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION
        
      
    Now, it has always been IETF's (and even before there was an IETF,
    Jon Postel's) policy to allow people to sell RFCs. What astonishes
    me is that clever people in the IEEE don't know RFCs are available
    free online. I guess RFCs remain so counter-cultural that industrial
    types don't get it. I wonder how many other IEEE standards contain
    similar RFC-for-pay references..

    
    Bob Braden

    
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