Re: Things that used to be clear (was Re: Evolving Documents (nee "Living Documents") side meeting at IETF105.)

[Keith Moore <[e-mail]>]

On 7/10/19 12:55 PM, Michael Richardson wrote:

> I expect engineers who want to contribute to how the Internet works to know
> how to make a HTML page that can validate using the most basic of editor.
> The web is now older than many university students.
>
> Our XML format is no more arcane than HTML4, and there are easier ways
> (markdown, word template, etc.), and people could also contribute to existing
> documents and get help from existing authors. It's not like someone should
> be doing base jumping on their first day here.

Clearly people who are capable of making useful technical contributions 
to Internet protocols are also capable of figuring out how to use 
xml2rfc, given enough extra time to sort through the varying and 
sometimes conflicting layers of documentation, tools, and error messages 
(or lack thereof).   My question is, is it really necessary that we 
require people to spend time on those things when they could instead be 
doing anything else?   Like more technical work, relaxing, or flossing 
their cats?

Or perhaps something like xml2rfc is a necessary evil, and it's within 
epsilon of an optimal format for our purposes.   I'd actually rather 
have a stable language and toolset for this than keep changing it.

Keith