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[ietf-dkim] RFC4871bis - whether to drop -- t=y: Domain is testing DKIM

2009-05-30 13:34:43
Folks,


In:

   <http://mipassoc.org/pipermail/ietf-dkim/2009q2/011959.html>

Steve Atkins posted a list of suggested DKIM features to drop.

This note is intended to anchor a discussion thread for discusses one of those
features, namely:


   TXT RR tags

     t=y: Domain is testing DKIM

A "test flag" is a little like the version field, except there's much  
less history of it's use in Internet standards. It isn't that useful,  
and may cause problems.

It seems a questionable choice to define something into a protocol  
that's almost immediately useless. Testing takes place only during  
startup, then everyone has to support it forever, even though it's  
never used again. In the case of DKIM it's also unclear how this would  
be useful, as there's no obvious way for a receiver to communicate to  
a sender the result of a DKIM validation in testing mode other than an  
arrangement outside of the protocol - in which case the testing flag  
wouldn't need to be part of the protocol.

Is anyone supporting t=y in a DKIM validator? What does it do in terms  
of delivery and communication with the sender that's different to  
normal non-test usage? And is it useful?

     g: Granularity of the key
     s: Service type
     t=s: Require that domain in i= and d= are the same

All three of these exist to ask the DKIM validator to compensate for  
the domain owners lack of control over usage inside the domain owners  
area of control. They don't belong in the basic DKIM signing mechanism.

If they're thought to be useful to identify and control different  
aspects of use, what are they, or what are they thought likely to be?


Please discuss arguments for and against dropping this.

d/
-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net




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