[db-wg] Proposal to remove "RIPE Document" status from RIPE database documents

[ Apologies for duplicate mails ]

Dear colleagues,

To your attention the proposal to remove "RIPE Document" status
from RIPE Database documents.

Introduction
------------
Currently all the RIPE Database documents are classed as
official RIPE Documents. This means that any changes to
the documents must be made via a formal, and sometimes
lengthy, procedure. As a result, changes are grouped and
updates to the documents are staged periodically, meaning
that the documents are often out of date in some way.

Based on discussions at RIPE 54, the RIPE NCC is currently
finalising eight proposals to send to the community. Each
of these will require changes to the database documentation.
There are also a number of other issues still to be
discussed by the Data Protection Task Force, any of which
may result in further proposals, as well as software or
procedure changes, which may require further changes to the
documentation. To keep the documents up to date throughout
this process will require almost monthly releases, which is
not possible under the current scheme.


Proposal
--------
The documents listed below [1] do not define any RIPE
policies. These documents explain how the database software
applies policy that is defined in other formal RIPE Policy
Documents and RFCs. The RIPE Database Update Reference
Manual [1], for example, explains how the database software
applies the route authentication process, but the process
itself is defined in other official documents.

We propose to remove the official RIPE Document status on
the documents listed below [1]. This will allow us to more
frequently modify these documents and keep them in line
with developments as they occur.

All documents will remain available to users on the RIPE
website in the same format as they are currently presented.


References
----------
[1] List of documents:

  * RIPE Database Query Reference Manual (ripe-401)
  * RIPE Database Update Reference Manual (ripe-252 and
    ripe-draft)
  * RIPE Database User Manual: Getting Started (ripe-402)

-- 
Katie Petrusha
Database Department
RIPE NCC