RFC1111

Network Working Group J. Postel Request for Comments: 1111 ISI Obsoletes: 825 August 1989

             Request for Comments on Request for Comments

                     Instructions to RFC Authors

Status of this Memo

  This RFC specifies a standard for the Internet community.  Authors of
  RFCs are expected to adopt and implement this standard.  Distribution
  of this memo is unlimited.

1. Introduction

  RFCs are distributed online by being stored as public access files,
  and a short message is sent to the distribution list indicating the
  availability of the memo.

  The online files are copied by the interested people and printed or
  displayed at their site on their equipment.  (An RFC may also be
  returned via email in response to an email query.)  This means that
  the format of the online files must meet the constraints of a wide
  variety of printing and display equipment.

2. Format Rules

  To meet the distribution constraints the following rules are
  established for the two allowed formats for RFCs:  ASCII and
  PostScript.

  The RFC Editor attempts to ensure a consistent RFC style.  To do this
  the RFC Editor may choose reformat the RFC submitted.  It is much
  easier to do this if the submission matches the style of the most
  recent RFCs.  Please do look at some recent RFCs and prepare yours in
  the same style.

  You must submit an editable online document to the RFC Editor.  The
  RFC Editor may require minor changes in format or style and will
  insert the actual RFC number.

  2a.  ASCII Format Rules:

     The character codes are ASCII.

     Each page must be limited to 58 lines followed by a form feed on a

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RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989

     line by itself.

     Each line must be limited to 72 characters followed by carriage
     return and line feed.

     No overstriking (or underlining) is allowed.

     These "height" and "width" constraints include any headers,
     footers, page numbers, or left side indenting.

     Do not fill the text with extra spaces to provide a straight right
     margin.

     Do not do hyphenation of words at the right margin.

     Do not use footnotes.  If such notes are necessary, put them at
     the end of a section, or at the end of the document.

     Use single spaced text within a paragraph, and one blank line
     between paragraphs.

     RFCs in ASCII Format may be submitted to the RFC Editor in email
     messages (or as online files) in either the finished publication
     format or in NROFF.  If you plan to submit a document in NROFF,
     please consult the RFC Editor first.

  2b.  PostScript Format Rules

  Standard page size is 8 1/2 by 11 inches.

     Margin of 1 inch on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).

     Main text should have a point size of no less than 10 points with
     a line spacing of 12 points.

     Footnotes and graph notations no smaller than 8 points with a line
     spacing of 9.6 points.

     Three fonts are acceptable: Helvetica, Times Roman and Courier
     Plus their bold-face and italic versions.  These are the three
     standard fonts on most PostScript printers.

     Prepare diagrams and images based on lowest common denominator
     PostScript.  Consider common PostScript printer functionality and
     memory requirements.

     The following PostScript commands should not be used:
     initgraphics, erasepage, copypage, grestoreall, initmatrix,

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RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989

     initclip, banddevice, framedevice, nulldevice and renderbands.

     These PostScript rules are likely to changed and expanded as
     experience is gained.

     RFCs in PostScript Format may be submitted to the RFC Editor in
     email messages (or as online files).  Since PostScript is not
     editable, an editable source version of the document must also be
     submitted.  If you plan to submit a document in PostScript, please
     consult the RFC Editor first.

3. Status Statement

  Each RFC must include on its first page the "Status of this Memo"
  section which contains a paragraph describing the intention of the
  RFC.  This section is meant to convey the status granted by the RFC
  Editor and the Internet Activities Board (IAB).  There are several
  reasons for publishing a memo as an RFC, for example, to make
  available some information for interested people, or to begin or
  continue a discussion of an interesting idea, or to make available
  the specification of a protocol.

     The following sample paragraphs may be used to satisfy this
     requirement:

        Proposed Protocol

           This RFC suggests a proposed protocol for the Internet
           community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
           improvements.

        Specification

           This RFC specifies a standard for the Internet community.
           Hosts on the Internet are expected to adopt and implement
           this standard.

        Discussion

           The purpose of this RFC is to focus discussion on particular
           problems in the Internet and possible methods of solution.
           No proposed solutions this document are intended as
           standards for the Internet.  Rather, it is hoped that a
           general consensus will emerge as to the appropriate solution
           to such problems, leading eventually to the adoption of
           standards.

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RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989

        Information

           This RFC is being distributed to members of the Internet
           community in order to solicit their reactions to the
           proposals contained in it.  While the issues discussed may
           not be directly relevant to the research problems of the
           Internet, they may be interesting to a number of researchers
           and implementers.

        Status

           In response to the need for maintenance of current
           information about the status and progress of various
           projects in the Internet community, this RFC is issued for
           the benefit of community members.  The information contained
           in this document is accurate as of the date of publication,
           but is subject to change.  Subsequent RFCs will reflect such
           changes.

     These paragraphs need not be followed word for word, but the
     general intent of the RFC must be made clear.

4. Distribution Statement

  Each RFC is to also include a "distribution statement".  In general,
  RFCs have unlimited distribution.  There may be a few cases in which
  it is appropriate to restrict the distribution in some way.

  Typically, the distribution statement will simply be the sentence
  "Distribution of this memo is unlimited." appended to the "Status of
  this Memo" section.

5. Author's Address

  Each RFC must have at the very end a section giving the author's
  address, including the name and postal address, the telephone number,
  and the Internet email address.

6. Relation to other RFCs

  Sometimes an RFC adds information on a topic discussed in a previous
  RFC or completely replaces an earlier RFC.  There are two terms used
  for these cases respectively, UPDATES and OBSOLETES.  A document that
  obsoletes an earlier document can stand on its own.  A document that
  merely updates an earlier document cannot stand on its own; it is
  something that must be added to or inserted into the existing
  document, and has limited usefulness independently.  The terms
  SUPERSEDES and REPLACES are no longer used.

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RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989

  UPDATES

     To be used as a reference from a new item that cannot be used
     alone (i.e., one that supplements a previous document), to refer
     to the previous document.  The newer publication is a part that
     will supplement or be added on to the existing document; e.g., an
     addendum, or separate, extra information that is to be added to
     the original document.

  OBSOLETES

     To be used to refer to an earlier document that is replaced by
     this document.  This document contains either revised information,
     or else all of the same information plus some new information,
     however extensive or brief that new information is; i.e., this
     document can be used alone, without reference to the older
     document.

     For example:

        On the Assigned Numbers RFCs, the term OBSOLETES should be used
        since the new document actually incorporates new information
        (however brief) into the text of existing information and is
        more up-to-date than the older document, and hence, replaces it
        and makes it OBSOLETE.

  In lists of RFCs or the RFC-Index (but not on the RFCs themselves),
  the following may be used with early documents to point to later
  documents.

  OBSOLETED-BY

     To be used to refer to the newer document that replaces the older
     document.

  UPDATED-BY

     To be used to refer to the newer document that adds information to
     the existing, still useful, document.

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RFC 1111 RFC Instructions August 1989

7. The RFC Editor

  The RFC Editor is Jon Postel.

8. The RFC Announcement List

  New RFCs are announced to the RFC distribution list maintained by the
  SRI Network Information Center (NIC).  Contact the SRI-NIC to be
  added or deleted from this mailing list by sending an email message
  to [email protected].

9. Obtaining RFCs

  RFCs can be obtained via FTP from NIC.DDN.MIL, with the pathname
  RFC:RFCnnnn.TXT (where "nnnn" refers to the number of the RFC).
  Login with FTP, username ANONYMOUS and password GUEST.

  The NIC also provides an automatic mail service for those sites which
  cannot use FTP.  Address the request to [email protected] and in
  the subject field of the message indicate the RFC number, as in
  "Subject: RFC nnnn".

  Requests for special distribution (for example, hardcopy) should be
  addressed to either the author of the RFC in question, or to
  [email protected].

  Unless specifically noted otherwise on the RFC itself, all RFCs are
  for unlimited distribution.

  The RFCs may also be obtained from other information centers,
  including the CSNET Information Center ([email protected]), the NSFNET
  Information Service ([email protected]).

Author's Address

  Jon Postel
  USC Information Sciences Institute
  4676 Admiralty Way
  Marina del Rey, California  90292-6695

  Phone:  213-822-1511

  EMail:  [email protected]

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