Post #4249762

2026-07-30 18:30 UTC

ICYMI: An IETF Internet-Draft, W3C Working Draft, OpenID Implementer’s Draft, and FIDO Review Draft are not equivalent measures of maturity. Because apparently standards were not confusing enough without overlapping terminology. A field guide to how four major SDOs actually work: https://sphericalcowconsulting.com/2026/01/13/sdo-process-field-guide/

Replies (2)

@paul_ipv6@infosec.exchange 2026-07-30 18:46

@sphcow@mas.to the only thing better than multiple competing standards is all of said standards using the same terminology but with distinctly different definitions. le sigh.

Open ##4249761
@jyasskin@hachyderm.io 2026-07-31 07:07

@sphcow@mas.to I'd quibble about the IETF levels, at least compared to the W3C. My impression is that IETF Internet Standards are more mature than any formal level that the W3C produces, and that IETF Proposed Standards match W3C Recommendations. You're the expert on the IETF side, of course: have I missed something? It's also easy to get confused between the various kinds of IETF Internet Drafts. Since an individual can publish one unilaterally, some have less maturity than a W3C Community Group document (although an equivalent IPR grant). Those are easy to confuse with the WG-adopted I-Ds, which, as you say, are equivalent to W3C WDs.

Open ##4317366