'Rough Consensus and Running Code' and the Internet-OSI Standards War | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore
Internet historians recognize the technical achievements but often overlook the bureaucratic innovations of Internet pioneers. The phrase, "We reject: kings, presidents, and voting. We believe in: rough consensus and running code," was coined by David Clark in 1992. This article explains how the phrase captured the technical and political values of Internet engineers during a crucial phase in the Internet's growth.