[rtcweb] References to -overview (Re: Unresolved normative references in IETF RTCWEB WG documents)

[Harald Alvestrand <[e-mail]>]

On 08/15/2013 11:03 PM, Bernard Aboba wrote:
> I've taken a look at the unresolved normative references in all of the
> current RTCWEB WG work items.  Here are some comments. 
>
> *Overall comment*
>
> Several of the documents (draft-ietf-rtcweb-rtp-usage,
> draft-ietf-rtcweb-security) have a normative reference to
> draft-ietf-rtcweb-overview, while others do not
> (draft-ietf-rtcweb-audio,
> draft-ietf-rtcweb-data-channel, draft-ietf-rtcweb-data-protocol,
> draft-ietf-rtcweb-security-arch).  While it probably makes sense for
> some documents to reference an overview of WebRTC, the overview
> document also functions as an overview of work relating to WebRTC, so
> that it has 9 unresolved normative dependencies.  The effect of a
> normative reference to the overview document is therefore to delay
> publication until all of the overview normative dependencies are
> resolved.  I am therefore wondering whether the normative references
> to the overview document are really necessary, or whether the
> dependencies shouldn't just go one way (e.g. from the overview to the
> other docs).  
>
In my opinion, the normal case should be that references to -overview
are informative, not normative. Documents should be published when
they're ready.

Most likely, the proper form is something like "This document specifies
a protocol intended for use within the WebRTC effort, but is not
restricted to that context. An overview of the WebRTC effort is given in
[OVERVIEW]".

Or something like that.