In
<5(_dot_)1(_dot_)0(_dot_)14(_dot_)2(_dot_)20020502225447(_dot_)0dac4c70(_at_)lmail(_dot_)pscs(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk>
Paul Smith <paul(_at_)pscs(_dot_)co(_dot_)uk> writes:
It would work better if the latin equivalent was 'china-timber.cn' rather
than 'A863B350DHRS-25323-52GH.A4GWT' (or whatever the Unicoded translation
into ASCII would be). This would make the job a LOT easier for (almost)
everyone involved, as non IDN capable MTAs would only have to do
comparisons on ASCII text rather than Unicode text etc, and non-local
senders could use the ASCII text version of the domain name.
Well it would be more like zz--sdfmklef-esf.cn, because the IDNA is
applied separately to each component of the domain name. So you at least
know that you are dealing with China.
You don't need to 'build an entire mail system from scratch'. Simply, for
instance, run IDN capable MTAs/MUAs on port 2025 (or whatever), and
everyone else continue on port 25, with gateways 'sanitising' things as
they pass from the IDN -> non-IDN world. I agree that it's a daft idea, but
not TOTALLY ludicrous :-)
Actually, it is not as daft as all that. If an MTA needs to know whether
it is dealing with an "internationalized" MUA, then there may be several
ways it could be done. Obviously, one is an EHLO on port 25, followed by a
response "yes, I speak International". But using a different port number
might be a possible alternative.
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Email: chl(_at_)clw(_dot_)cs(_dot_)man(_dot_)ac(_dot_)uk Snail: 5
Clerewood Ave, CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K.
PGP: 2C15F1A9 Fingerprint: 73 6D C2 51 93 A0 01 E7 65 E8 64 7E 14 A4 AB A5