RFC 72 (rfc72) - Page 1 of 3

Proposed Moratorium on Changes to Network Protocol

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Network Working Group                                 Robert D. Bressler
Request for Comments #72                              M.I.T./Project MAC
                                                      September 28, 1970



           PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON CHANGES TO NETWORK PROTOCOL


       Bill Crowther's RFC No. 67 raised a much more  fundamental  issue

   than  the  question  of marking.  Any change to presently established

   protocol  is  going  to  involve  changes  in  the  hardware/software

   development  efforts  that have, in some instances, been going on for

   over 6 months.  In the case  of  Multics,  this  effort  has  yielded

   programs  either  complete or in the advanced debugging stages.  This

   is no doubt true for many other sites as well.


       The arguments being developed  here  are  not  that  the  present

   protocol  is  ideal,  but  rather that everyone has agreed that it is

   workable and has begun implementation of it.  We would therefore like

   to propose a moratorium on most changes to this protocol for the next

   6 months, or however long it takes to get this system running and  to

   observe its characteristics.


       Specifically this means not making changes that only  effect  the

   efficiency  or  ease of implementation.  If a major design problem is

   uncovered it should still be brought forward  for  consideration,  as

   could  issues that represent extensions to the existing system.  But,

   changes to the details of the present system should not be made.


       There are several points to be made in favor  of  this  argument.
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