Heck Of A Guy

Introduction To RFC 1925
(AKA The 12 Networking Truths, AKA The 12 Fundamental Truths)

While this document conveniently includes its own built-in caveat (i.e., posting this list is itself a nice example of its Point #11: Every old idea will be proposed again with a different name and a different presentation, regardless of whether it works), my contention is that the only significant error contained herein is that of opportunity cost. True to its engineering roots, the document is intended to be conservatively read as applicable to networking. Had the author majored in, say, English Lit rather than Electrical Engineering or Computer Science, the scope would have been more encompassing, which would be a good thing; on the other hand, the piece would have also expanded to 56 pages (not including the two pages of acknowledgments), reeked of commas and semicolons, and wound up a deservedly obscure exhibit at a PMLA poster session. And, there is always the chance that it might have been written in free verse.

Regardless,

This RFC¹ can be found on thousands of web sites, most of which appeal to geek-rich audiences. I’m publishing it here in hopes of garnering credit for missionary work. I’ve reprinted the text from my copy of the first version I ran across in 1997, but there are few variations in any of the posted lists. I have corrected a couple of blatant misspellings and reformatted it to fit this space. The names, numbers, addresses, etc are unchanged.

The Twelve Networking Truths

Network Working Group……………….R. Callon, Editor
Request for Comments: 1925……..IOOF
Category: Informational………………1 April 1996

Status of this Memo

This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

This memo documents the fundamental truths of networking for the Internet community. This memo does not specify a standard, except in the sense that all standards must implicitly follow the fundamental truths.

Acknowledgments

The truths described in this memo result from extensive study over an extended period of time by many people, some of whom did not intend to contribute to this work. The editor merely has collected these truths, and would like to thank the networking community for originally illuminating these truths.

1. Introduction
This Request for Comments (RFC) provides information about the fundamental truths underlying all networking. These truths apply to networking in general, and are not limited to TCP/IP, the Internet, or any other subset of the networking community.

2. The Fundamental Truths

(1) It Has To Work.

(2) No matter how hard you push and no matter what the priority, you can’t increase the speed of light.
   (2a) (corollary). No matter how hard you try, you can’t make a baby in much less than 9 months. Trying to speed this up *might* make it slower, but it won’t make it happen any quicker.

(3) With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead.

(4) Some things in life can never be fully appreciated nor understood unless experienced firsthand. Some things in networking can never be fully understood by someone who neither builds commercial networking equipment nor runs an operational network.

(5) It is always possible to agglutinate multiple separate problems into a single complex interdependent solution. In most cases this is a bad idea.

(6) It is easier to move a problem around (for example, by moving the problem to a different part of the overall network architecture) than it is to solve it.
   (6a) (corollary). It is always possible to add another level of indirection.

(7) It is always something
   (7a) (corollary). Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick any two (you can’t have all three).

(8) It is more complicated than you think.

(9) For all resources, whatever it is, you need more.
   (9a) (corollary) Every networking problem always takes longer to solve than it seems like it should.

(10) One size never fits all.

(11) Every old idea will be proposed again with a different name and a different presentation, regardless of whether it works.
   (11a) (corollary). See rule 6a.

(12) In protocol design, perfection has been reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Security Considerations
This RFC raises no security issues. However, security protocols are subject to the fundamental networking truths.

References
The references have been deleted in order to protect the guilty and avoid enriching the lawyers.

Author’s Address
Ross Callon
Internet Order of Old Farts
c/o Bay Networks
3 Federal Street
Billerica, MA 01821

Phone: 508-436-3936
EMail: rcallon@baynetworks.com

Footnotes

1. The following is extracted or minimally modified from Comments on RFC: “RFC” is an acronym for “Request For Comments,” which are the working notes of the Internet research and development community. They contain the description of protocols, systems, and procedures for Internet, or simply reviews, experiments, or information on some topic. The first RFC was written in 1969. Now there are well over 3800 RFCs today. An RFC is for forever. Once published, they can never be changed or modified in anyway. If there is an error in the RFC, then a revised RFC is published that obsoletes the one with the error. An RFC can be submitted by anyone, Eventually, if it gains enough interest, it may evolve into a standard. The home page for all RFCs is here: http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html↩

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