Nearly fifty use cases documenting the need for a RIF were originally submitted. These were grouped into eight general categories and then synthesized as much as possible. In the second round, two new use cases were added. The following use case descriptions, guided by this synthesis, provide scenarios that motivate the need and explain the benefits of a RIF. They are also intended to provide an ongoing reference point for the working group in its goal of providing a precise set of requirements for a RIF.
In order to enhance readability and avoid the appearance of syntactic prejudice, we have deliberately avoided the use of formal notation in representing rules in these use cases except where doing so might introduce ambiguity. However, this informality may lead readers to the conclusion that rules can perform arbitrary actions in the real world. This is not the case; the RIF WG has not yet decided on the ultimate power that rules will have.