Session Date/Time: 27 Feb 2024 20:00

CELLAR

Summary

The CELLAR Working Group held its February virtual meeting. Key discussions revolved around the status of the Matroska core specification in the RFC Editor queue, the process for addressing a new normative reference identified during IESG review, and the work plan for subsequent Matroska specifications. A significant item was the discussion and decision to draft a blog post highlighting CELLAR's work and external endorsements, such as the Library of Congress designating Matroska as a "Preferred Format."

Key Discussion Points

Previous Meeting Minutes: The draft minutes from the previous meeting were reviewed and approved.
Matroska Core Specification (draft-ietf-cellar-matroska):
- The specification remains in the RFC Editor queue. It has been in an "edit" state for 18 weeks.
- Discussion clarified that "edit" status means it is actively being worked on by an RFC Editor, rather than simply waiting in the queue.
- The document's length (167 pages) and the need to process XML were noted as factors that might contribute to a longer editing time compared to shorter documents.
- The concept of "clusters" and the "star-R" flag (indicating normative references that are themselves in the queue or not yet received) were briefly explained; the Matroska document does not currently have this flag as its normative references are stable.
- The working group will continue to monitor its status in the queue.
New Normative Reference in AD Evaluation:
- During the IESG review, a new normative reference was added to the Matroska core specification.
- Murray (AD) has an action item to discuss with the IESG how to proceed with this, potentially requiring a short second IESG Last Call.
- Murray had missed the previous IESG telechat but noted another one is scheduled for this coming Thursday. The document remains in AD Evaluation for now. No action is required from the working group.
Work Plan for Dependent Matroska Specifications:
- All expired Matroska-related drafts (tags, codecs, content-encoding) have been resubmitted.
- A sense of those present indicated that the "tags" specification (draft-ietf-cellar-matroska-tags) would be the next focus due to its relative simplicity and independence, followed by "codecs."
- It was confirmed that new drafts can normatively reference the pending Matroska core specification using its current draft number (e.g., draft-ietf-cellar-matroska-21). The RFC Editor will update this reference to the final RFC number upon publication.
"Why CELLAR" Blog Post / External Communication:
- A discussion was held about publishing a blog post (e.g., on the IETF blog, ISOC channels) to highlight CELLAR's work and the significance of the Matroska specification.
- The Library of Congress's recent designation of Matroska as a "Preferred Format" was cited as a strong external endorsement, making such an article timely and valuable upon the RFC's release.
- Michael Richardson noted that such an article could help explain why the IETF is the appropriate forum for this type of work, given its unique expertise and ability to convene relevant parties.
- The target audience would be the IETF community and broader internet/standards-aware audiences (e.g., ISO).
- Kate Murray at the Library of Congress was suggested as a potential source for a factual quote.

Decisions and Action Items

Decision: The draft meeting minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
Decision: The working group will prioritize work on the Matroska "tags" specification (draft-ietf-cellar-matroska-tags), followed by the "codecs" specification.
Action Item: Murray (AD): Follow up with the IESG regarding the new normative reference added to the Matroska core specification, specifically how to proceed (e.g., potential second IESG Last Call). This is scheduled for the IESG telechat this Thursday.
Action Item: Martin (Marius): Draft a blog post/article for potential publication on the IETF blog or similar platforms, detailing CELLAR's achievements and the significance of the Matroska RFC, to be prepared in anticipation of the Matroska core RFC's publication. The draft will be shared with the mailing list for review.

Next Steps

Continue to monitor the status of the Matroska core specification (draft-ietf-cellar-matroska) in the RFC Editor queue.
Marius to begin work on the Matroska "tags" specification.
Await feedback from the AD regarding the new normative reference.
Next scheduled meeting is April 9th.