Internet Engineering Task Force: The facts

If you have ever wondered what makes the internet work smoothly, the answer is that different organisations work behind the scenes to formulate policies and enforce high internet standards. An example of one such organisation is The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that is dedicated to enhancing global internet usability. This article provides guide to the Internet Engineering Task Force.

Description

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is an international organisation concerned with the smooth operation on the internet.The organisation strives to make the internet work better from an engineering point of view. An organised arm of the Internet Society (ISOC), its parent organisation that was established in 1992 to provide leadership and set to promote internet-related standards and policies, the IETF plays a vital role in ensuring continued open development and evolution of the internet. Membership Membership to the organisation is open to any interested party/individual and comprises of a community of researchers, network designers, operators and internet vendors.

Organisation

Groups The IETF is organised into working groups and informal discussion groups that tackle specific topics such as internet operations and management, real-time applications and infrastructure and routing and security. All these subject matter areas are overseen by an area director who often has two co-area directors. Area directors appoint chairs of the different working groups who are then responsible for the overall operation of the working groups.
Charter A working group's mandate is described in a charter that outlines the group’s focus and goals that the group is expected to achieve. Once the work described in a group’s charter is finished, the group disbands or updates the charter to take on new tasks as appropriate. Each group’s mandate is geared toward meeting the overall goals and objectives of the organisation.

Mission, goals and objectives

According to the IETF official website, “The mission of the IETF is to make the internet work better by producing high-quality, relevant technical documents that influence the way people design, use and manage the Internet.”
A final word Simply put, the organisation's goals and objectives is to make the internet work better by providing leadership and by setting high standards for the open development and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.