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 |
<cart_button.gif> |
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