Editing Internet Engineering Task Force (section)

==Organization==
There is no membership in the IETF. Anyone can participate by signing up to a working group mailing list, or registering for an IETF meeting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ietf.org/about/introduction/|title=IETF Introduction|publisher=IETF|access-date=20 Jan 2024}}</ref>

The IETF operates in a bottom-up task creation mode{{Clarify|date=March 2025}}, largely driven by working groups.<ref name=Bradner-January1999/> Each working group normally has appointed two co-chairs (occasionally three); a charter that describes its focus; and what it is expected to produce, and when. It is open to all who want to participate and holds discussions on an open [[Electronic mailing list|mailing list]]. Working groups hold open sessions at IETF meetings, where the onsite registration fee in 2024 was between {{currency|875|US}} (early registration) and $1200 per person for the week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://registration.ietf.org/119/|title=IETF Registration|publisher=IETF|access-date=20 Jan 2024}}</ref> Significant discounts are available for students and remote participants. As working groups do not make decisions at IETF meetings, with all decisions taken later on the working group [[mailing list]], meeting attendance is not required for contributors.

[[Rough consensus]] is the primary basis for decision making. There are no formal voting procedures. Each working group is intended to complete work on its topic and then disband. In some cases, the working group will instead have its charter updated to take on new tasks as appropriate.<ref name=Bradner-January1999/>

The working groups are grouped into areas by subject matter {{See below|{{section link||Steering group}}, below}}. Each area is overseen by an area director (AD), with most areas having two ADs. The ADs are responsible for appointing working group chairs. The area directors, together with the IETF Chair, form the [[Internet Engineering Steering Group]] (IESG), which is responsible for the overall operation of the IETF.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[File:IETF org chart.png|thumb|right|400px|Governance structure of the IETF]]

The [[Internet Architecture Board]] (IAB) oversees the IETF's external relationships.<ref>"Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB)", RFC 2850, B. Carpenter, May 2000. Retrieved 21 July 2014.</ref> The IAB provides long-range technical direction for Internet development. The IAB also manages the [[Internet Research Task Force]] (IRTF), with which the IETF has a number of cross-group relations.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Board |first=Charter of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) |title=RFC Editor |url=https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2850.html |website=RFC Editor|date=May 2000 }}</ref>

A nominating committee (NomCom) of ten randomly chosen volunteers who participate regularly at meetings, a non-voting chair and 4-5 liaisons, is vested with the power to appoint, reappoint, and remove members of the IESG, IAB, IETF Trust and the IETF LLC.<ref>[https://www.ietf.org/about/groups/nomcom/ "Nominating Committee"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824164948/https://www.ietf.org/about/groups/nomcom/ |date=August 24, 2024 }}, IETF. Retrieved 24 August 2024.</ref> To date, no one has been removed by a NomCom, although several people have resigned their positions, requiring replacements.<ref>{{cite web |title=RFC 3777 Update for Vacancies |url=http://www.watersprings.org/pub/id/draft-ietf-genarea-bcp10upd-01.html |website=WaterSprings.org |date=1 November 2012}}</ref>

In 1993 the IETF changed from an activity supported by the US federal government to an independent, international activity associated with the [[Internet Society]], a US-based [[501(c)(3) organization]].<ref name=IETFandInternetSociety>[http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/ietf-and-internet-society "IETF and the Internet Society"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729001534/http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/ietf-and-internet-society |date=July 29, 2014 }}, Vint Cerf, Internet Society, 18 July 1995.</ref> In 2018 the Internet Society created a subsidiary, the IETF Administration LLC, to be the corporate, legal and financial home for the IETF.<ref>[https://www.ietf.org/administration/overview/ "IETF Administration LLC"]{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824170733/https://www.ietf.org/administration/overview/|date=August 24, 2024}}, IETF. Retrieved 24 August 2024.</ref> IETF activities are funded by meeting fees, meeting sponsors and by the Internet Society via its organizational membership and the proceeds of the [[Public Interest Registry]].<ref>[http://pir.org/about-us/history/ "History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726124546/http://pir.org/about-us/history/ |date=July 26, 2014 }}, Your Public Internet Registry. Retrieved 21 July 2014.</ref>

In December 2005, the IETF Trust was established to manage the copyrighted materials produced by the IETF.<ref>[//trustee.ietf.org/ "IETF Trust"], IETF. Retrieved 21 July 2014.</ref>

===Steering group===
The Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) is a body composed of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) chair and area directors. It provides the final technical review of Internet standards and is responsible for day-to-day management of the IETF. It receives appeals of the decisions of the working groups, and the IESG makes the decision to progress documents in the [[Internet standard|standards track]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://www.ietf.org/standards/process/role-iesg-standards-process/|access-date=2021-06-03|website=IETF|language=en|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624114736/https://www7.ietf.org/standards/process/role-iesg-standards-process/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The chair of the IESG is the area director of the general area, who also serves as the overall IETF chair. Members of the IESG include the two directors, sometimes three, of each of the following areas:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ietf.org/technologies/areas/|title=IETF Areas|publisher=IETF|access-date=30 August 2024|archive-date=August 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824164948/https://www.ietf.org/technologies/areas/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Applications and real-time (art)
* General (gen)
* Internet (int)
* Operations and management (ops)
* Routing (rtg)
* Security (sec)
* Web and Internet transport (wit)

Liaison and ''[[ex officio]]'' members include:{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
*IETF executive director
*IAB chair
*Appointed liaison from the IAB
*Liaison from the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] (IANA)
*Liaison from the [[Request for Comments]] (RFC) editor