Appendix A. Standards and Standards-Setting Organizations

[Page 647]

A.1 The Importance of Standards

A.2 Internet Standards and the Internet Society

The Internet Organizations and RFC Publication

The Standardization Process

Internet Standards Categories

Other RFC Types

A.3 National Institute of Standards and Technology

---

[Page 648]

There are some dogs who wouldn't debase what are to them sacred forms. A very fine, very serious German Shepherd I worked with, for instance, grumbled noisily at other dogs when they didn't obey. When training him to retrieve, at one point I set the dumbbell on its end for the fun of it. He glared disapprovingly at the dumbbell and at me, then pushed it carefully back into its proper position before picking it up and returning with it, rather sullenly.

Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name, Vicki Hearne

An important concept that recurs frequently in this book is standards. This appendix provides some background on the nature and relevance of standards and looks at the key organizations involved in developing standards for networking and communications.