RFC 37 (rfc37) - Page 1 of 5

Network Meeting Epilogue, etc

Network Working Group                                        S. Crocker
Request for Comments: 37                                           UCLA
                                                          20 March 1970

                     Network Meeting Epilogue, etc.

The Meeting
-----------

  On Tuesday, March 17, 1970, I hosted a Network meeting at UCLA.
  About 25 people attended, including representatives from MIT, LL,
  BBN, Harvard, SRI, Utah, UCSB, SDC, RAND and UCLA.  I presented a
  modification of the protocol in NWG/RFC #33; the modifications are
  sketchily documented in NWG/RFC #36.  The main modification is the
  facility for dynamic reconnection.

  The protocol based on sockets and undistinguished simplex
  connections is quite different from the previous protocol as
  documented in NWG/RFC #11.  The impetus for making such changes came
  out of the network meeting on December 8, 1969, at Utah, at which
  time the limitations of a log-in requirement and the inability to
  connect arbitrary processes was seriously challenged.  Accordingly,
  the primary reason for the recent meeting was to sample opinion on
  the new protocol.

  Recollections may vary, but it is my opinion that the protocol was
  widely accepted and that the criticism and discussion fell into two
  categories:

  1.  Questioning the complexity and usefulness of the full protocol,
      especially the need for dynamic reconnection.

  2.  Other topics, particularly character set translation, higher
      level languages, incompatible equipment, etc.

  Notably lacking was any criticism of the basic concepts of sockets
  and connections.  (Some have since surfaced.)  The following
  agreements were made:

  1.  By April 30, I would be responsible for publishing an
      implementable specification along lines presented.

  2.  Any interested party would communicate with me (at least)
      immediately if he wished to modify the protocol.