J. Clarke
Tony, just a comment here but someone working in IT would typically use "policy" to describe what you are referring to as a "protocol", which could be part the reason that people are being so argumentative.

Tony Cooper
I don't know that usage. I'm not involved in IT in any way, so if there's a jargon use for "policy", then it's new to me.

I'd appreciate a definition of "policy" as it applies to IT work. Preferably, a definition in your own words rather than a link. Link definitions tend to contain references that need definitions.

To me, a "policy" would be a set of regulations that determine how a situation will be handled. A "protocol", though, is a set of steps that will be followed in performing a task. A policy determines what people do, but the protocol determines what a program does.

Correct me if I'm wrong about a policy in an IT context.