IETF Engagement Guide for the .agent Special-Use Domain Proposal
Overview
This guide outlines the process for engaging with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to propose and standardize the .agent special-use domain name. The IETF is the primary standards organization for Internet protocols and architecture, making it the appropriate venue for this proposal.
Key IETF Working Groups
For the .agent special-use domain proposal, the following working groups are most relevant:
1. DNS Operations (dnsop)
2. Security Dispatch (secdispatch)
3. Applications and Real-Time Area (art)
- Purpose: Oversees application protocols and architectures
- Relevance: May have interest in AI agent communication protocols
- Mailing List: art@ietf.org
IETF Process Timeline
The IETF standardization process typically follows these steps:
- Initial Research and Preparation (1-2 months)
- Research existing standards and special-use domains
- Prepare initial Internet-Draft
- Internet-Draft Submission (Day 0)
- Submit draft to IETF Datatracker
- Announce on relevant mailing lists
- Initial Community Feedback (1-3 months)
- Collect and address feedback from mailing lists
- Revise draft as needed
- Working Group Presentation (Next IETF meeting)
- Present at relevant working group meeting
- Seek adoption as a working group document
- Working Group Adoption (3-6 months)
- If adopted, continue revisions based on working group feedback
- If not adopted, continue as individual submission with revisions
- Working Group Last Call (1 month)
- Final working group review
- Resolve any remaining issues
- IETF Last Call (2 weeks)
- Broader IETF community review
- Address any new concerns
- IESG Review and Approval (1-3 months)
- Review by Internet Engineering Steering Group
- Address any IESG concerns
- Publication as RFC (1-2 months)
- Final editing by RFC Editor
- Publication as an official RFC
- IANA Registration (After RFC publication)
- IANA updates Special-Use Domain Names registry
.agent becomes officially reserved
Total timeline: Approximately 12-24 months from initial submission to final publication and registration.
Submission Guidelines
Internet-Drafts must follow specific formatting requirements:
- Plain Text Format: Primary format is plain text with specific line length and formatting
- XML Format: Optional XML source using RFC XML format
- Naming Convention:
draft-[author]-agent-special-use-domain-[version].txt
- Expiration: Drafts expire after 6 months and must be updated to remain active
Submission Process
- Create IETF Datatracker Account:
- Submit Draft:
- Track Progress:
- Monitor draft status in the Datatracker
- Respond to automatic notifications about expiration
Effective Engagement Strategies
Mailing List Participation
- Subscribe to Relevant Lists:
- Subscribe to dnsop and other relevant mailing lists
- Follow discussions for several weeks before posting
- Initial Announcement:
- Announce your draft with a clear, concise email
- Highlight the purpose and technical approach
- Request specific feedback
- Responding to Feedback:
- Respond promptly and professionally to all feedback
- Address technical concerns with data and references
- Be open to revising your approach based on feedback
IETF Meeting Participation
- Meeting Registration:
- Working Group Sessions:
- Request agenda time in relevant working groups
- Prepare concise slides (typically 5-10 slides maximum)
- Focus on technical aspects and addressing concerns
- Informal Discussions:
- Participate in hallway discussions and social events
- Use hackathons to demonstrate technical concepts
- Build relationships with key contributors
Building Consensus
The IETF operates on “rough consensus” rather than formal voting. To build consensus:
- Address All Technical Concerns:
- Take all feedback seriously, especially security concerns
- Provide technical justifications for design decisions
- Be willing to compromise on non-essential aspects
- Demonstrate Real-World Need:
- Provide concrete use cases for AI agent communication
- Show why existing solutions are insufficient
- Explain benefits to the broader Internet community
- Engage with Critics:
- Proactively reach out to those with concerns
- Find common ground where possible
- Document alternatives considered and why they were rejected
- Document Support:
- Gather expressions of support from implementers
- Document organizations interested in using the standard
- Show community interest in the solution
Working Group Chairs
- DNS Operations (dnsop) Chairs:
Area Directors
- Operations and Management Area Directors:
IETF Secretariat
- IETF Datatracker: https://datatracker.ietf.org/
- Track document progress
- Find working group information
- Access meeting materials
- RFC Editor: https://www.rfc-editor.org/
- Access published RFCs
- Find formatting guidelines
- Use style guides
- Draft Authoring Tools:
- Mailing List Archives:
Conclusion
Engaging with the IETF requires patience, technical rigor, and community participation. The process for standardizing the .agent special-use domain will take time, but following this guide will help navigate the process effectively. Remember that the IETF values technical excellence, practical applicability, and community consensus above all else.
By actively participating in the process, addressing concerns, and building relationships within the community, you can increase the chances of successfully establishing the .agent special-use domain as a standard for autonomous AI agent communication.