RFCs for the win!

Something that helped me a lot to build solutions with less back and forth, misalignment, and rework was the technical documentation plan. It's something that we, as developers, hate doing. I mean, why should I waste my coding time writing documentation, right? This is the mindset of someone who has just started their career or has never worked with anyone else. However, even for the last case, It's safer to consider your future self as another person and let some plan written ;). After some different technical plan models, I've been working with this so called "Request for Comments" and I've appreciated how it works so far. So I decided to share a little bit about it.

RFC or Request for Comments is a term used in software development to refer to a document that outlines a proposed change or enhancement to a system, software, or protocol. RFCs are important in the development process as they help to establish standards, provide a platform for discussion, and help to ensure that the changes made are necessary and beneficial.

In the early days of the Internet, RFCs were primarily used to define standards for the network protocols used to transmit data. However, over time, the use of RFCs has expanded to cover a wide range of software development processes, from defining programming language syntax to outlining best practices for software development.

RFCs typically contain a detailed explanation of the proposed change, along with any necessary technical specifications, diagrams, or code samples. They are also designed to provide a platform for discussion and feedback from other developers and stakeholders.

One of the key benefits of using RFCs is that they help to ensure that changes to the software are well thought out and well documented. This reduces the risk of bugs and errors and helps to ensure that software is maintainable and scalable over time. Additionally, RFCs help to establish standards and best practices that can be used across an organization or even across industries.

RFCs also provide a mechanism for collaboration and discussion among developers. By soliciting feedback and input from others, developers can benefit from the collective expertise of the community and make better decisions.

For RFCs to be effective, they must be well written, well documented, and well supported. Developers must be willing to engage in discussion and provide feedback, and the RFC process must be transparent and inclusive.

In conclusion, RFCs are an important part of the software development process. They provide a platform for collaboration, establish standards and best practices, and help to ensure that software changes are well thought out and well documented. By using RFCs, developers can create better software that is more maintainable and scalable over time.