On Aug 8, 2011, at 11:07 PM, Randy Bush wrote: >>> above five, the rfced's deal with the iesg is that the masthead lists >>> an editor and all the rest are in a Contributors or Authors section >> I see. So the author limit isn't really a "guideline" (as advertised) >> or even a rule, just a backroom "deal". > > have you taken your meds today? http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-rfc-editor-rfc2223bis-08 2.12 Authors Listed on RFC The IESG and IETF have ratified a policy of limiting the number of authors listed in the first page header of an RFC. The specific policy is as follows: (1) A small set of author names, with affiliations, may appear on the front page header. These should be the lead author(s) who are most responsible for the actual text. When there are many contributors, the best choice will be to list the person or (few) persons who acted as document editor(s) (e.g.,"Tom Smith, Editor"). There is no rigid limit on the size of this set, but there is likely to be a discussion if the set exceeds five authors, in which case the right answer is probably to list one editor. The RFC Editor will hold all the people listed on the front RFC Editor Informational [Page 13] Internet-Draft Instructions to RFC Authors 1 August 2004 page equally responsible for the final form and content of the published RFC. In particular, the "Author's 48 Hours" final approval period will require signoff from all listed authors. (2) An RFC may include a Contributors section, listing those contributors who deserve significant credit for the document contents. The Contributors section is intended to provide a level of recognition greater than an acknowledgment and nearly equal to listing on the front page. The choice of either, both, or none of Contributor and Acknowledgment sections in a particular RFC depends upon the circumstance. (3) The body of an RFC may include an Acknowledgements section, in addition to or instead of a Contributors section. An Acknowledgments section may be lengthy, and it may explain scope and nature of contributions. It may also specify affiliations. (4) The Author's Address section at the end of the RFC must include the authors listed in the front page header. The purpose of this section is to (1) unambiguously define author/contributor identity (e.g., the John Smith who works for FooBar Systems) and to (2) provide contact information for future readers who have questions or comments. At the discretion of the author(s), contact addresses may also be included in the Contributors section for those contributors whose knowledge makes them useful future contacts for information about the RFC. (5) The RFC Editor may grant exceptions to these guidelines upon specific IESG request or in other exceptional circumstances. Finally, it is important to note that the copyright rules governing RFC publication [IPC04] require that an RFC must: "[acknowledge] all major Contributors. A major Contributor is any person who has materially or substantially contributed to the [RFC]." The Contributors and Acknowledgment sections fulfill this objective. > _______________________________________________ > Ietf mailing list > Ietf@xxxxxxxx > https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf > _______________________________________________ Ietf mailing list Ietf@xxxxxxxx https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf