Subject: [tcpm] A reminder to standards writers

From: Andre Oppermann <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:20:03 +0200

I want to send a reminder to standard writers like we are here on TCPM.

Recently I've seen a cavalier approach in that clarity and simplicity
gets lost in clever engineering and sophistication, not to speak of
redefining long standing and established behavior of certain aspects
of standards.

(To be) widely deployed standards have keep in mind:

1. Standards are write once, but read and implement many many times.
    Both many thousand to hundred-thousand times.  It may be become
    part of a university course curriculum.

    Some of the readers and implementers even have poor English knowledge,
    easily trip over unclear wording and end up with something slightly
    different than what was intended.

2. Standards must be clear and concise and avoid any ambiguities to
    facilitate painless interoperability.

    Interoperability doesn't converge on plug-fests, it should be obvious
    from reading the standard.  "USL" (use the source, Luke) is not an
    option.  Neither is "do it like large vendor X does".

3. When a standard was specified in a particular way, stick to it.
    Update asap but only to clarify ambiguities and to ensure interop.

4. Ideally publish a generally available test suite testing for positive
    and negative specifications of the standard.

Thank you for your cooperation.

-- 
Andre