This is a cool RFC that I haven’t had a chance to read thoroughly yet. I have a feeling that several gems are in here. Of course, it’s not as amusing as RFC 1149 (A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers), but not many RFCs are. Here’s an example from page 2 about large systems and the simplicity principle:
The Simplicity Principle, which was perhaps first articulated by Mike O’Dell, former Chief Architect at UUNET, states that complexity is the primary mechanism which impedes efficient scaling, and as a result is the primary driver of increases in both capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operational expenditures (OPEX). The implication for carrier IP networks then, is that to be successful we must drive our architectures and designs toward the simplest possible solutions.
I’ll read more later, but so far it looks like Randy Bush and David Meyer have done a great job updating an older RFC (1958 written in 1996) with some modern info.