RFCs

Communication Protocols: Internet Standards You Should Know On the Internet, devices talk using rules called protocols. These rules cover how data is addressed, routed, delivered, and understood on both ends. The most important standards are published as RFCs by the IETF. You don’t need to memorize every detail, but knowing a few names helps when you troubleshoot or design systems. Protocols are layered. A protocol defines how a message looks, how to start a conversation, what to do if things go wrong, and how to stay safe. When you load a web page, several standards work together behind the scenes. ...

The Evolution of Web Standards and Protocols The web started as a small collection of ideas: simple HTML pages, basic CSS, and scripts that ran in the browser. Over time, engineers created shared rules so different systems could talk to each other. Those rules are standards, and the rules that move data across networks are protocols. In the early days, organizations like the W3C and IETF began to publish standards. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript were standardized so pages look similar on different devices. At the same time, the ideas of TCP/IP and DNS gave a common way to reach any site. The result is a web that works for people everywhere. ...