Process for Organization of Internet Standards ONgoing (poisson)
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Charter
Last Modified: 10/26/2001

Current Status: Concluded Working Group

Chair(s):
    James Galvin  <[email protected]>
    John Klensin  <[email protected]>

General Area Director(s):
    Harald Alvestrand  <[email protected]>

General Area Advisor:
    Harald Alvestrand  <[email protected]>

Mailing Lists:
    General Discussion:[email protected]
    To Subscribe:      [email protected]
    Archive:           ftp://ftp.tis.com/pub/lists/poised/poised.yymm

Description of Working Group:

The POISED working group in 1993-1994 established the basis of the IETF
process in its current form. Poised95 established a base set of
documents to describe the essentials of the IETF process. POISSON is
concerned with documenting issues relevant to the IETF process.

The name POISSON:

The tricky part of describing the IETF process, certainly in the fast
changing world of the Internet, is that when you describe the process in
too much detail, the IETF loses its flexibility, when you describe to
little it becomes unmanageable. This is therefore a slippery subject,
hence the name POISSON, which is French for fish. The French word also
serves to indicate the international aspect of the WG.

Furthermore the IETF operates by consensus, which sometimes seems to
have a POISSON distribution.

The POISSON WG will work on the following items in 1999:

- Review of copyright issues as described in RFC2026,
 that describes the Internet standards proces.

- Drafting of an agreement for registration and assignment of protocol
 parameters as performed by the IANA.

 The WG will focus on the operational and technical aspects of the
 contract. The IETF lawyer will be asked to add the necessary legal
 phrases.

- Discuss the relationship between IETF and ICANN.
 Should the IETF be participating in ICANN at all? If so, as
 part of the ICANN PSO?
 Under which conditions?

 An RFC detailing the position will be published if the WG
 decides that the IETF should not be part of the ICANN PSO.
 RFC on proposed ICANN PSO bylaws will be produced if the WG
 consensus is in favor of joining the PSO. Furthermore, in the latter
 case an RFC will be produced that describes how ICANN PSO
 officers (on behalf of the IETF) are to be selected.

- Discuss an update of the Nominations Committee document RFC-2282, if
 and when the current NomCom has suggestions for changes.

Furthermore, the POISSON WG will review documents that are related to
the IETF standards process (but that will not be produced by the POISSON
WG itself) when available. Such documents may include:

- IETF Charter; This needs to be written by the IETF chair. It is
essentially a short mission statement like document that contains
references to other Poised documents for further details.

- IESG Charter; This document will be written by the IESG.

- IAB Charter; The IAB needs to revise its charter (RFC1601).

- Proposals related to standards publishing.

Last but not least, Poisson will serve as a generic platform where the
IAB and IESG can discuss policy questions if there is the need for
consensus polling.

Goals and Milestones:

  Done         Submit Internet-Draft of second version of proposed IANA
               contract

  Done         Second version of drafts for ICANN PSO bylaws and IETF PSO
               officer selection, or first draft describing why IETF
               should not be involved with ICANN

  Done         Present ICANN related issues at IETF plenary

  Done         Submit final version of all drafts

  Done         Submit Internet-Drafts to IESG for publication as RFCs.


Internet-Drafts:

 No Current Internet-Drafts.

Request For Comments:

 RFC   Stat Published     Title
------- -- ----------- ------------------------------------
RFC2282BCP  FEB 98    IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall
                      Process: Operation of the Nominating and Recall
                      Committees

RFC2418BCP  SEP 98    IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures

RFC2691 I    SEP 99    A Memorandum of Understanding for an ICANN Protocol
                      Support Organization

RFC2690 I    SEP 99    A Proposal for an MOU-Based ICANN Protocol Support
                      Organization

RFC2777 I    FEB 00    Publicly Verifiable Random Selection

RFC2727BCP  FEB 00    IAB and IESG Selection, Confirmation, and Recall

RFC3005BCP  NOV 00    IETF Discussion List Charter

RFC3184BCP  OCT 01    IETF Guidelines for Conduct