Public archival of AUTH48 communications for IETF-stream RFCs

[IETF Chair <[e-mail]>]

We’d like to thank the community for all the feedback on the IESG’s proposal to create a public archive for AUTH48 conversations (https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/admin-discuss/eFfx9ylrIafZc1R1hgsZHMYD3Wg/).

After carefully reviewing the feedback and consulting with the Tools Team, the IESG has decided to go ahead with the proposal, i.e., to set up a single public mailing list whose only purpose is to archive AUTH48 conversations. The RFC Editor, when initiating the conversation with the authors during AUTH48, will CC this mailing list. All further responses should keep the mailing list in the CC, unless sharing of sensitive information necessitates an opt-out by the RFC Editor or the authors.

The IESG is instantiating this process for the IETF RFC stream only; the stream-approving bodies for other RFC streams may decide to follow suit.

We’d also like to emphasize that the purpose here is to further increase transparency of the IETF standardization process. The standardization and publication processes remain unchanged. Most importantly, that means that any conversation during AUTH48 remains between the RFC Editor and the authors, with the responsible AD in the loop. If community members wish to express opinions about document changes discussed during AUTH48 between the authors and the RFC Editor, they may raise them with the responsible AD.

Francesca Palombini and Lars Eggert
on behalf of the IESG