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.

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.

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.

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  Do not use footnotes.  If such notes are necessary, put them at
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  Use single spaced text within a paragraph, and one blank line
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  RFCs in ASCII Format may be submitted to the RFC Editor in email
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  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
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  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.

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.

     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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The RFC Editor

The RFC Editor is Jon Postel.

The RFC Announcement List

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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]