RFC - technical definition

The official document by which the Internet Activities Board (IAB) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) publish standards, protocols, best practices, or other information relative to the operation of the Internet. The format dates to the early days of the ARPANET in which authors circulated hard copies of their proposals to their colleagues and requested their comments. In the more formal context of contemporary Internet administration, requests for comments actually are made in an Internet Draft document. See also ARPANET, IAB, IETF, and Internet.