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Status:

INFORMATIONAL

Author:

P. Resnick

Stream:

IETF

Source:

NON WORKING GROUP

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DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC7282

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Abstract

The IETF has had a long tradition of doing its technical work througha consensus process, taking into account the different views amongIETF participants and coming to (at least rough) consensus ontechnical matters. In particular, the IETF is supposed not to be runby a "majority rule" philosophy. This is why we engage in ritualslike "humming" instead of voting. However, more and more of ouractions are now indistinguishable from voting, and quite often we areletting the majority win the day without consideration of minorityconcerns. This document explains some features of rough consensus,what is not rough consensus, how we have gotten away from it, how wemight think about it differently, and the things we can do in orderto really achieve rough consensus.

Note: This document is quite consciously being put forward asInformational. It does not propose to change any IETF processes andis therefore not a BCP. It is simply a collection of principles,hopefully around which the IETF can come to (at least rough)consensus.

For the definition ofStatus,seeRFC 2026.

For the definition ofStream, seeRFC 8729.