Re: [netmod] upcoming adoptions - this appendix is normative

[Randy Presuhn <[e-mail]>]

Hi -

On 10/2/2017 7:18 AM, Robert Wilton wrote:
> This discussion may be conflating two issues:
> 
> (i) Does RFC text have to use RFC2119 terms to be normative?
> RFC 8174 categorically states that text can still be normative without 
> using RFC 2119 terms.

Thus it's clear that their usage is not necessarily necessary.

> (ii) Should standards track documents use RFC 2119 terms?
> If 93% of recently published standards track RFCs make use of RFC 2119 
> terms then that seems like a strong consistency argument to use them 
> unless there is a good reason not to.

I think RFC 2119 itself provides a fair counter-argument to the
imposition of such a requirement.  RFC 2119 states that "[i]mperatives
of the type defined in this memo must be used with care and sparingly."
To use "with care" and "sparingly" seems contrary to the notion of
employing them merely for "consistency."

Randy