Mother of consensus

TODAY ICANN is almost synonymous with internet governance (see article). But spare a thought for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Without this little-known outfit, which developed many of the internet’s technical standards, the network would not even exist. The IETF just celebrated its 30th anniversary. Will it be around in another 30 years?

The IETF, which was born at a meeting in San Diego, is known for its pragmatic way of making decisions. Rather than having governments or companies haggle over changes to networking protocols or routing services, “rough consensus and running code” is the rule. “Not everyone has to agree. And no votes are counted,” explains Scott Bradner, one the group’s grey-bearded elders (pictured). If the difference between two options is merely cosmetic, the IETF generally goes ahead with the more popular one if dissenters do not number more than about 20-30% of the total, although there is no firm rule. That proportion shrinks to 5-10% when a more fundamental choice must be made.

At first IETF meetings were a festival for academics and engineers such as Mr Bradner. But as the internet has grown and become vital to companies’ fortunes, that has changed. First, representatives of big makers of networking gear such as Cisco and Ericsson began to turn up. They were followed by delegates from online giants like Facebook and Google. Now a large Asian contingent is present. When the IETF met in Yokohama last November, Cisco sent around 100 engineers, Google 50 and Huawei, a Chinese hardware maker, about 60.

Jari Arkko, the IETF’s chairman (who also works for Ericsson) wants it to remain the place where exciting new technologies are discussed. But it seems to be turning into more of a conventional standards body. Commercial interests weigh heavily and issues take ever longer to sort out, says Kieren McCarthy, a longtime observer of internet-governance groups. Increasingly, internet standards are being set by more specialised groups covering the web, mobile technology and the internet of things.

The pioneers are retiring: Mr Bradner will say goodbye in the next few months. But even if the organisation becomes less relevant, its decision-making standard of “rough consensus and running code” is likely to endure. Most internet-related technical groups follow it. The IETF’s dress code is influential, too. “Many newcomers are often embarrassed when they show up Monday morning in suits,” the official “Tao of IETF” warns, “to discover that everybody else is wearing T-shirts, jeans and sandals.”