ACTION-202: references to informational RFCs for key wrap algorithms

http://www.w3.org/2001/06/manual/#normative ... is the closest thing  
to a policy on this issue.  The rule is:

   "Normative references should be to stable and mature
   resources (e.g., only Recommendations)."

(Note that this is not the process document, but just the manual of  
style.)

Both RFC 3217 (CMS-Wrap) and RFC 3394 (AES-Wrap) are certainly stable  
documents.  I suspect that the community also considers them mature,  
but that's of course up to the group's judgment.

I'd likewise expect an RFC to eventually emerge out of draft-housley  
to end up being stable and mature.

Checking on IETF practice, they tend to call out "down  
references" (from standards track to informational, for example) at  
transition points (last call in their case).

It would presumably make sense to call out these references at  
transition to CR (along with normative references to other W3C specs  
that might be in progress), or perhaps at Last Call.  Additionally  
(and earlier), I'd suggest we give a short heads-up to the IETF area  
directors concerned, and to Russ Housley.

--
Thomas Roessler, W3C  <tlr@w3.org>

Received on Tuesday, 3 February 2009 23:40:56 UTC