Subject: [urn] suggested change for -12 of rfc2141bis section 7.3.6

From: Keith Moore <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 01 May 2015 01:23:42 -0400

For reference, the current (-11) text of section 7.3.6:

7.3.6.  Resolution

    The "Resolution" section MUST specify whether resolution mechanisms
    are supported or anticipated for URNs assigned within the namespace,
    and if so SHOULD specify or reference the rules governing those
    mechanisms.

    In particular, if resolution is anticipated and resolver registration
    of some kind is required, for example via a Resolution Discovery
    System [RFC2276], this section SHOULD list the requirements for
    becoming a recognized resolver of URNs in the relevant namespace.

I believe this section needs work for multiple reasons:

  * resolution is, fundamentally, not a per-namespace operation. A
    namespace can support a resolution service for URNs that it assigns
    if it chooses to do so (and it will likely have high quality
    information), but any other party can also provide a service to look
    up URNs from any namespace.   Tying resolution services to any
    specific party degrades the persistence of URNs, because a URN
    should remain valid and potentially resolvable even if its namespace
    (or the organization operating it) ceases to exist, or even if its
    namespace imposes barriers to use of its resolution services.
  * Rules for resolution should not be namespace-specific, because this
    discourages general-purpose resolution services.   (A namespace can
    of course recommend specific resolution services and/or specific
    protocols for use with those services, but this section is worded as
    if resolution itself were some sort of fundamentally
    namespace-specific operation)

Here's a stab at alternate text:

7.3.6. Resolution

    The "Resolution" section is optional.  If included, it SHOULD 
specify whether the namespace intends to operate or recommend any 
resolution services for URNs using that namespace.   In addition, if the 
namespace intends to implement registration for publicly-advertised 
resolution services (for example using a system like that described in 
[RFC2276]) the Resolution section SHOULD list the requirements for being 
publicly-advertised using that mechanism.

Note: The above is not intended to restrict URN resolution to services 
provided by or recommended by the namespace operator. In principle, any 
party may operate a resolution service for any set of URNs.