Be Excellent To Each Other

Status of This Memo

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This Internet-Draft will expire on 27 March 2025.¶

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

There is some informal text in this document, but the topic is serious. If you find yourself about to send a message you might regret, consult this text first.¶

2. Conventions and Definitions

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.¶

3. Policy

Be Excellent To Each Other. For a more extensive explanation, refer to [EXCELLENT].¶

4. Rules

0-12 days: Anyone appointed to moderate an IETF mailing list (such as a WG chair, or an IETF list moderator) can prevent posting from anyone for twelve days, either through outright blocking or screening, with no transparency aside from informing the person being moderated.¶

Hopefully, this action will be used only for a day or two. This capability is good, because there's no shame. It is not to be used in "Last Call" situations, as those have a time limit as well. Twelve days might seem like a long time, but the policy is intended to cover all times of year.¶

Anyone can start a blog, or CC an email to a non-IETF list. There are many venues not subject to IETF moderation.¶

However, it may be that the IETF audience's attention is being abused through IETF infrastructure, so that's why this action exists.¶

12-24 days: The moderator or WG chair must inform an Area Director or the IETF Chair, as appropriate, and again inform the participant.¶

24-36 days: If the problem persists this long, it is in BCP 83 or IETF Ombudsman territory, which quite likely might have started in the previous steps. At this point, it must be publicly pointed out.¶

Any of these actions may be appealed.¶

5. Security Considerations

One problem with failing to be excellent to each other is that people wander off. Then, documents don't get the security review they require.¶

6. IANA Considerations

This document has no IANA actions.¶

7. References

Author's Address