Subject: [Terminology] WG Review: Effective Terminology in IETF Documents (term)

From: The IESG <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2021 07:32:47 -0700

A new IETF WG has been proposed in the General Area. The IESG has not made
any determination yet. The following draft charter was submitted, and is
provided for informational purposes only. Please send your comments to the
IESG mailing list ([email-masked]) by 2021-05-03.

Effective Terminology in IETF Documents (term)
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Current status: Proposed WG

Chairs:
  TBD

Assigned Area Director:
  Lars Eggert <[email-masked]>

General Area Directors:
  Lars Eggert <[email-masked]>

Mailing list:
  Address: [email-masked]
  To subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/terminology
  Archive: https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/terminology/

Group page: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/term/

Charter: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/charter-ietf-term/

The mission of the IETF as specified in BCP 95 is to produce high quality,
relevant technical documents that influence the way people design, use, and
manage the Internet. Contributions to the IETF, including Internet-Drafts and
RFCs, are most understandable and effective when they use terminology that is
clear, precise, and widely accessible to readers from varying backgrounds and
cultures. This maximizes the benefits the IETF derives from its central
principles, such as its open process and volunteer core.

In the years leading up to the chartering of this working group, there has
been discussion in the IETF, in other standards organizations, and in the
broader technology industry about the use of certain terms of art in
technical writing and whether those and other terms have an exclusionary
effect. While opinions vary among IETF participants about this topic, there
is widespread agreement that the IETF community would benefit from advice
about using effective terminology that would improve clarity and
approachability.

The TERM working group is therefore chartered to produce an Informational RFC
containing guidance to IETF participants on the use of effective terminology
that also minimizes exclusionary effects. The RFC will express general
principles for assessing when language is effective. The principles should be
derived considering input from a broad set of IETF participants. The WG will
identify and recommend external, independently updated resources containing
examples of potentially problematic terms and potential alternatives to IETF
participants for their consideration, to align its efforts with broader
activities by the technology industry.

The TERM working group is a focused group aiming to produce a single
deliverable. It is designed to complement other efforts at fostering
inclusivity in the IETF and will liaise with appropriate external groups,
such as other SDOs or industry initiatives, to coordinate.

The output of this WG will provide guidance to IETF participants and will not
restrict the type or content of contributions that can be made to the IETF
standards process. The output of this WG may inform a potential future
activity by the RFC Editor to establish terminology guidance for the overall
RFC series, but does not constrain any such future action.

Milestones:

  Jun 2021 - Adopt draft providing informational terminology recommendations

  Dec 2021 - Submit informational terminology recommendations to IESG