IETF  REPORT

                   RIPE Meeting
            Amsterdam, The Netherlands
              January  20 - 23, 1997

                Joyce K. Reynolds
          Information Sciences Institute
        University of Southern California
            Marina del Rey, California
                     USA

                 jkrey@isi.edu


The IETF

        - Open, volunteer engineering group

        - Nine areas

        - 80 Working Groups

        - Works via EMail and meetings

        - Three meetings per year

        - About 1000 attendees per meeting

        - Participants include network technical staff from 
          companies (vendors, users), universities                     
          (non-profit R&D), etc.

        - Results = Documents describing Internet Standards


The Request for Comments Document Series

        - Started in 1969

        - Now have ~2000

        - Since RFC 500, all are
          available on-line

        - Distribution is primarily via the network
          (FTP, EMail, and the Web)


IETF Areas

        - Applications

        - Internet

        - Network Management & Operations

        - Routing

        - Transport

        - Security

        - User Services


IETF REPORT

                       San Jose IETF Stats

                      2100 Total Attendees

                      945 First Timers (45% increase)

                      87 Groups met 
                      (This includes WGs, BOFs, 
                      Directorates, the IAB, and IAHC)

                      [Some in multiple sessions.]


The User Services Area of the IETF

        - Started in 1989 as one Working Group within the IETF (USWG).

        - January 1991 - User Services Area (USV) created.

        - Currently, we have 10 WGs.


The User Services Area of the IETF

        - IETF User Services Area is a second level service.

        - We are NOT an end-user specific entity.

        -  ALL levels of users, not just novice.


        Helping New Users

        Task for the Networks
        (e.g., Regionals)

        - Newsletters
        - New User Guides
        - Etc., etc.

IETF User Services is second level.  Dealing with real users is first
level.  IETF User Services provides information to people doing first
level services.


Interaction with IETF Areas

        Coordination with other IETF
        Areas to work together on
        topics of common interest.

International Cooperation

        Interaction with other 
        international user services
        organizations.


New/Updated Publications

        Internet Users Glossary, FYI 18, RFC 1983, August 1996.

        Catalogue of Network Training Materials, FYI 29, RFC 2007,
        October 1996.


New Things

        - IETF IRE WG - in process of being chartered

        - ARIN Registry for Numbers - http://rs.internic.net/arin

        - IAHC Committee for Domain Names - http://www.iahc.org

        - IPv6  "6Bone" - http://www-6bone.lbl.gov/6bone

        - ETINU - "Environment to Inspire Network Users"
          http://www.terena.nl/


New iTLDs and what is IAHC doing about it?

                www.iahc.org

                announcements

                new registries summary

                new registries document


IETF WEB PAGE

                    www.ietf.org