[apps-discuss] Encouraging third party registrations (was: Re: A modest proposal for MIME types (and URI schemes))

["Martin J. Dürst" <[e-mail]>]

Hello Ned, others,

On 2011/11/15 4:33, Ned Freed wrote:

>> > ENCOURAGE the public to register any names that they have seen in
>> > deployed software. (same for URI schemes)
>
>> I think third-party registration is indeed something we should encourage
>> more.
>
> How do you propose we do that?

It seems that currently, people don't even know that it is possible. So 
the first step is to make this more known. On another list, you write: 
"We have always allowed registrations by any interested party." That's 
apparently true, but is it done because nowhere in RFC 4288 it says it's 
not possible? Then making it explicit in draft-freed-media-type-regs 
should help.

For example, you could put in a section 4.12, (Non-)Requirements for 
Contact Information, Author, and Change Controller, saying explicitly 
that third-party registrations are welcome.

This could also explain what in such a case contact information, author, 
and change controller should be. I'd assume that contact information 
goes to the submitter, but change controller stays with the company or 
individual that created the format, but you'll know better what's 
current practice. If I did a third-party registration, this would be the 
place where I'd really not know which way to go.

You can also add pointers to that new section, or just mention the fact, 
in other places where somebody might potentially look. As an example, in 
http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-freed-media-type-regs-01#section-5.5, 
you could say that in addition to providing comments, new registrations 
and change requests by third parties are also possible.

The next step would then be to put text saying "Media Types may also be 
registered by third parties." or so on the relevant pages at IANA (e.g. 
http://www.iana.org/cgi-bin/mediatypes.pl and 
http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/index.html).


Regards,   Martin.