RFC 3: Putting things back together again

[Aaron Swartz <aswartz@swartzfam.com>]

It seems that almost everyone agrees that the task before us is to find some
way to allow RSS to grow and evolve, while causing minimal damage to the
installed base. The only thing we disagree on is how. This proposal is my
attempt to find common ground between the two groups, in the hope that we
can begin to allow RSS to move forward again. Thanks to everyone for sitting
through the fights and the flames the past few days, and here's hoping that
things will soon be back on track.
  - Aaron Swartz, 2001-06-07

** Freezing RSS **

RSS is declared frozen at 0.9 and 0.91. RSS 0.9 and 0.91 are documented
through a collaborative effort on behalf of the Syndication list, based on
Netscape (for 0.9) and Dave Winer's version (for 0.91) as well as current
practice in the RSS community. The specifications will be kept at the
backend.userland.com website and will include a copyright notice that allows
it to be copied in whole or in part. It may include pointers to other
branches of RSS that respect these terms of this agreement.

** Branching RSS **

RSS as defined above is established as the root name with branches using
names that include "RSS". While the final branch names must be
determined by the communities involved, RSS-A (currently RSS 1.0) and
RSS-B (currently RSS 0.92/3) will be used in the rest of this document but
that does not imply that these names must be chosen.

The RSS-DEV Working Group will rename their spec and working group but
continue to maintain the RSS-A branch. Software and documentation maintained
by members of RSS-DEV will be updated also. RSS-DEV will encourage others to
do the same.

The reallySimpleSyndication list will rename their spec and working group
but continue to maintain the RSS-B branch. Software and documentation
maintained by members of reallySimpleSyndication will be updated also.
reallySimpleSyndication will encourage others to do the same.

No party will extend RSS 0.90/1 with new features (new elements, etc.)
without using a new name. Changes currently in common use by the RSS
community (such as removing length restrictions) will continue to be
allowed.

This decision is based on the will of the syndication community based on the
poll at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syndication/surveys?id=690145

** Arbitration **

If there are disputes about this agreement, they will be arbitrated by a
group of three active developers chosen from the Syndication list, one to be
chosen by each side and agreeable to the other, and a Mark Nottingham, the
founder of the Syndication list, will chose a third (possibly himself) who
must also be agreeable to both sides. Decisions of the three-person panel
will be made in a timely fashion and will be final.

** Acceptance **

If this proposal is not accepted by both the members of
reallySimpleSyndication and the current RSS-DEV Working Group its terms are
not enforceable.

All parties agree to put the past fully behind us. Discussion of events that
took place before agreement was reached will be off-topic on all three mail
lists.