An RFC, or Request for Comments, is a type of publication from the series of the same name. It is a formal document from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Society (ISOC), the principal technical development and standards-setting bodies for the internet.
An RFC is authored by engineers and computer scientists in the form of a memorandum describing methods, behaviors, research, or innovations applicable to the working of the Internet and Internet-connected systems. It is submitted either for peer review or simply to convey new concepts, information, or (occasionally) engineering humor. The IETF adopts some of the proposals published as RFCs as Internet Standards.
RFCs cover a wide range of topics related to computer networking, including protocols, procedures, programs, and concepts, as well as meeting notes, opinions, and sometimes humor. Each RFC is assigned a unique number, and once published, it is never revised. If the standard it describes changes, a new RFC is published to replace or supplement it. For example, RFC 2616, which describes HTTP 1.1, was replaced by RFC 7230-7235.
