Language for taxonomic names, redux

Doug Ewell doug at ewellic.org
Wed Feb 22 19:34:14 CET 2017


I wrote:

> The Reviewer makes the decision, not IETF. Actually, IETF has
> vanishingly little to do with this process.

I should probably clarify, this being the "IETF Languages" list and all.

The Language Subtag Reviewer is appointed by the IESG (the managing arm
of the IETF) and serves at its pleasure. As John pointed out, the
decisions of the Reviewer can be overturned or otherwise "guided" by
IESG, or they can remove him altogether.

The specifications on which we operate, RFCs 5646 and 4647 (which
compose BCP 47), and their predecessors, were created through the IETF
process, originally by individuals and later through an IETF Working
Group. The documents were reviewed by the IETF at large and had an
additional review by the Security Directorate. The label "BCP", for Best
Current Practice, is an IETF designation and implies IESG endorsement.

Both the IESG and the IETF have vanishingly little to do with the
day-to-day process of handling subtag requests and approving or
rejecting them. The Reviewer, as an appointee of IESG, is trusted to
make appropriate and justifiable decisions, at least unless and until an
appeal is made to IESG.

There is no requirement for the Reviewer to identify himself as "IETF"
or "IESG" when announcing a decision on a request. We know who he is, he
is listed as such on the IANA Protocol Registries page (where the
Language Subtag Registry lives), and it is easy to find posts in the
list archives that confirm his role.

--
Doug Ewell | Thornton, CO, US | ewellic.org



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