Internet Core Protocols: The Definitive Guide

Appendix A. The Internet Standardization Process

Throughout this book, there have been many references to specifications and documents, such as the RFCs and STDs that define the various protocols and data formats in use on the Internet. How these documents get developed is an interesting aspect of the Internet community, and one that needs to be discussed in order to fully understand how the Internet really works.

RFC 2026 gives an overview of the Internet standardization process. It is a must-read for anybody who wants to get a true understanding of the process. This appendix attempts to summarize this document (and others) for those people who are interested only in an overview.

Perhaps the best analogy comes from Ed Krol’s book, The Whole Internet User’s Guide and Catalog, in which Krol says that the Internet is kind of like a church. It has a council of elders, every member has an opinion on how things should work, and you can either choose to participate or you can choose not to participate. This is a pretty accurate assessment.

Although the defining element of “what the Internet is” is the conformance to Internet-based standards and services, it is important to note that the use of these standards is strictly voluntary. There is no “Internet Police force” that goes around and makes you use IP and SMTP, for example. Instead, your usage of these protocols is entirely optional.

However, by not using these standards, you would also be making a choice of being isolated from the rest ...