The IETF&#x27;s RFCs are hardly ever &quot;formal&quot;. At best they have a formal grammar, but never a formal semantics.<p>And I disagree that formal specifications are intimidating. A formal specification is just code, so if you have trouble understanding something, you can enlist the computer&#x27;s help. On the other hand, if an informal specification isn&#x27;t clear to you, you are more or less screwed.