Subject: Re: I-D Action:draft-hoffman-tao4677bis-00.txt

From: Bob Braden <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:35:49 -0800 (PST)

*> 
  *> I've always wondered what the designation "for your information" adds
  *> to an RFC that is already labelled "informational".
  *> 
  *>    Brian
  *> 

Brian,

Jon Postel introduced the FYI sub-series (a smallish subset of
Informational RFCs) at a time when the Internet was beginning to
expand beyond itrs academic roots to serve a larger commercial and
public community.  There was a need for *user* documentation at that
point, telling new users how to "use" the Internet.  In fact, there was
a whole IETF area, the Users Services area, and its AD Joyce Reynolds
traveled all around the glob explaining and touting the Internet.  Jon
believed that pointing new users at the (entire) collection of RFCs
would just confound them, so he designated a subset (sub-series) of the
RFCs, the FYI documents, for new users to read.

The world has turned a few times since then, and there is no longer a
User Services area of the IETF.  Therefore, I (not presuming here to
speak for the RFC Editor) believe that FYIs are essentially an
interesting piece of history.

Bob Braden

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