As per Relevance of the word copyright, we have this rfc below:
Network Working Group D.
Request for Comments: 2441
Category: Informational November 1998
Working with
Tribute delivered at UCLA, October 30, 1998
Status of this
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
memo is unlimited
Copyright
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved
In 1973, after doing interactive flight simulation over the ARPAnet
I joined ISI and applied that experience to interactive speech
the ARPAnet
The communication requirements for realtime speech were unique (
like UDP than like TCP). This got me involved in the Network
Group, and I started another project at ISI called "
Concepts".
In 1977 Steve Crocker, who was then at ISI, told me that Jon
willing to join us, and that Jon will be a great addition to
Internet Concepts project. Steve was right on both accounts
Jon and I worked together from 1977 until 1993 when I left ISI
According to ISI's management Jon worked for me for several years
and I worked for him for several years. In reality we never
for each other (nor for ISI), we always worked together, to
the technology that we believed in. Over most of those 16 years
had our offices together, and always worked with each other,
when we worked on totally different projects
Jon was always most pleasant to work with. He was most caring
about the project, and about the individuals on the team. He
always full of great intentions and humor. Jon was always ready
mischiefs, one way or another. He was always game to hack something
Cohen Informational [Page 1]
RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998
When I worked on the MOSIS project, in 1980, users submitted
VLSI designs to us by e-mail. For several defense contractors
getting access to the ARPAnet was too complex. We suggested
they would use a commercial e-mail service, like TELEmail, instead
Then we had the problem of getting all the e-mail systems
interoperate, since none of them was willing to interoperate with
others. Jon and I solved this problem during one long night
hacking. This hack later became the mail-tunnel that provided
service known as "InterMail", for passing e-mail between
non-cooperating systems, including systems like MCImail and IEEE'
COMPmail
I'm sure that Jon was so enthusiastic to work with me on it for
reasons
* Such interoperability among heterogeneous e-mail
was our religion, with no tolerance for separatism
* We definitely were not supposed to do it
Jon hated bureaucracy and silly rules, as Cary Thomas so
described. Too bad that we lived in an environment with so
rules
We started Los-Nettos without lawyers and without formal contracts
Handshakes were good enough. At that time several other
networks started around the country. Most of them were interested
expansion, in glory, and in fortune. Jon was interested only
getting the problem solved
This was Jon's priority, both at work, and in his life
I find it funny to read in the papers that Jon was the director
IANA. Jon was IANA. Much more important, Jon was the
memory of the Internet, and also the corporate style and
technical taste of the Internet
Jon was an authority without bureaucracy. No silly rules! Jon'
authority was not derived from any management structure. It was
to his personality, his dedication, deep understanding, and
technical taste and style
Jon set the standards for both the Internet standards and for
Internet standardization process. Jon turned the RFCs into a
piece of the standardization process
Cohen Informational [Page 2]
RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998
One can also read that Jon was the editor of the RFC, and may
that Jon checked only the grammar or the format of the RFCs.
could be further from the truth, not that he did not check it, but
addition, being the corporate memory, Jon had indicated many times
authors that earlier work had treated the same subject, and
their work would be improved by learning about that earlier work
For the benefits of those in the audience who are either too young
too old to remember let me recall some recent history
The Internet protocols (mainly IP, TCP, UDP, FTP, Telnet, FTP,
even SNMP) were defined and documented in their RFCs. DoD
them and announced a date by which all of DoD units would have to
TCP/IP. They even translated RFC791 from Jon's English to
Militarese
However, all the other countries (i.e., their governments and PTTs
in the world joined the ISO wagon, the X.25 based suite of
protocols. The US government joined them and defined GOSIP. All
large computer companies (from IBM and DEC down) announced
future plans to join the GOSIP bandwagon. DoD totally
and denounced the "DoD unique protocols" and was seeking ways
forget all about them, spending million of dollars on GOSIP
X.500.
Against them, on the Internet side, there was a very small group
young Davids. The OSI camp had its prestige, but we had
systems, a large community of devotees, and properly
protocols that allowed integration of the TCP/IP suite into
UNIX system, such as in every SUN workstation
Against the strict laws in Europe, their universities developed
underground of Internet connections. One could get from
to the university in Rome, for example, for example, by going
over the Internet across the US to the east coast, then to the UK
then using some private lines to France, then to CERN in Switzerland
and from there to Rome - while breaking the laws of all
countries with every packet
Meanwhile, in the states, Academia, and the research communities
never knew about GOSIP
The Internet, against all the conventional wisdom, grew
anyone being in charge, without central control, and without
central planning
The war between the ISO and the TCP/IP camps never took place.
camp turned out to be a no show
Cohen Informational [Page 3]
RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998
What made it all possible was the wise selection of what
standardize and what not to, and the high quality of the standards
a series of living documents
Our foundation and infrastructure of standards was the secret
that won the war. Jon created it, using the RFC mechanism
by Steve Crocker. It was Jon who immediately realized
importance, and the need for someone to act as the curator,
volunteered
The lightning speed with which Microsoft joined the Internet was
possible without the quality of the existing standards that were
well documented
During the transition from ARPA, through the NSF, to the
world there was a point in which the trivial funding required for
smooth operation of editing and distributing the RFCs was in doubt
At that time the prospect of not having funds to run this
was very real. Finally the problem was solved and the
suffered no interruption
What most of the involved agencies and managers did not know is
there was never a danger of any interruption. Jon would have done
even with no external funding. If they did not pay him to do it,
would have paid them to let him do it. For him it was not a job,
was labor of love
Jon never joined the PowerPoint generation. Jon always believed
the content was the only thing that matters. Hand written
were good enough. Color and logos were distractions, a
evil in certain occasions, not the style of choice
Jon defined quality by counting interesting ideas, not points
inch
When fancy formatting creeped into the Internet community,
resisted the temptation to allow fancy formats for RFCs. Instead,
insisted on them being in ASCII, easy to e-mail, guaranteed to
readable anywhere in the world. The instant availability
usability of RFCs was much more important to him than how fancy
looked
The Internet was not just a job for Jon. It was his hobby and
mission in life
We will miss Jon, who was for the Internet its corporate memory,
corporate style, and its corporate taste
Cohen Informational [Page 4]
RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998
I will miss him even more as a colleague and a friend
In Summary
* Jon was pleasant, fun/funny, and unselfish
He was full of mischief, adventure, humor, and caring
He was devoted to his work, to the Internet, and to
people who worked with him
* It was great working together and having
offices for 16 years
* Jon set the standards for the Internet standards
* Jon was the Internet's corporate memory, the corporate taste
and the corporate style
* Jon was an authority without bureaucracy
* Jon was an Internet Missionary
* Jon was a great friend that I will miss for ever
Security
Security issues are not relevant to this Tribute
Author's
Danny
EMail: cohen@myri.
Cohen Informational [Page 5]
RFC 2441 Working with Jon November 1998
Full Copyright
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved
This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished
others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain
or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied,
and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of
kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph
included on all such copies and derivative works. However,
document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by
the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or
Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose
developing Internet standards in which case the procedures
copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must
followed, or as required to translate it into languages other
English
The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not
revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns
This document and the information contained herein is provided on
"AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE
HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
Cohen Informational [Page 6]
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just be content we did not write this in Java, which would have made this "bigger and better" HAHAHHA.
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