Network Working Group                                         S. Crocker
Request for Comments #53                                      UCLA
                                                              9 June 70


                     An Official Protocol Mechanism


During the Spring Joint Computer Conference in Atlantic City, Larry
Roberts, Barry Wessler, Cordell Green, Jon Postel and I discussed rules
for establishing and modifying an official Host-Host protocol.

The following decisions were made:

      1.  A new set of documents will be created.  This set of
          documents will specify the official Host-Host protocol.  When
          it becomes appropriate, these documents will be maintained at
          the Network Information Center on SRI's computer.

      2.  I will distribute proposals for the initial version of the
          official protocol and all subsequent changes as NWG/RFC's.
          These proposals will be formulated from suggestions made by
          any interested parties.

      3.  After a proposal for a change in the official protocol
          has been issued as an NWG/RFC, networkers are requested to
          respond with approval, criticism, etc.  A cutoff date will be
          included with each protocol.

      4.  After the cutoff date, one of two situations will prevail.
          Either the proposal will have been substantially accepted by
          the network community, or substantial criticism will have been
          generated.  In the latter case, the process stops and no
          change occurs to the official protocol.

      5.  If the proposal has been substantially accepted, the
          proposal, together with its minor revisions will be forwarded
          to the ARPA office.  Barry Wessler or his successor will then
          either approve or disapprove the whole proposal.  His decision
          will be returned to me by letter.

      6.  After the ARPA office approves the proposal, I will send
          out the new protocol (as mentioned in item 1 above).

The first version of an official protocol will be proferred this month.

       [ This RFC was put into machine readable form for entry ]
[ into the online RFC archives by Kathy de Graaf 2/98 ]