ietf-dkim
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Re: [ietf-dkim] Modified Introduction text forrfc4871-errata (resend)

2009-06-17 13:45:54
So, here's a suggested merging of the two:

       <t>This currently leaves signers and assessors with the potential for
         making different interpretations between the two identifiers and may
         lead to interoperability problems. A signer could intend one to be
         used for assessment, and have a non-reputation intent in setting the

s/a non-reputation/some unspecified/

         value in the other. However the verifier might choose the wrong value
         to deliver to the assessor, thereby producing an unintended (and
         inaccurate) assessment.</t>

       <t>This update resolves that confusion.  It defines additional, 
semantic
         labels for the two values, clarifies their nature and specifies their
         relationship.  More specifically, it clarifies that the identifier
         intended for delivery to the assessor -- such as one that consults a
         white list -- is the value of the "d=" tag. However, this does not
         prohibit message filtering engines from using the "i=" tag, or any
         other information in the message's header, for filtering decisions.
       </t>

       <t>For signers and verifiers that have been using the i= tag as the
         primary value that is delivered to the assessor, a software change to
         using the d= tag is intended.
       </t>

      <t>So, this Update clarifies the formal interface to DKIM, after
        signature verification has been performed. It distinguishes DKIM's
        internal signing and
        verification activity, from its standardized delivery of data to that

s/,//

        interface.</t>

       <t>The focus of the Update is on the portion of DKIM that is much like
         an API definition.  If DKIM is implemented as a software library for
         use by others, it needs to define what outputs are provided, that is,
         what data that an application developer who uses the library can 
expect
         to obtain as a result of invoking DKIM on a message.</t>

       <t>This Update draft defines the output of that library to include the
         yes/no result of the verification and the "d=" value.  In other 
words,
         it says what (one) identifier was formally specified for use by the
         signer and whether the use of that identifier has been validated. For
         a particular library, other information can be provided at the
         discretion of the library developer, since developers of assessors --
         these are the consumers of the DKIM library -- well might want more
         information than the standardized two pieces of information. However
         that standardized set is the minimum that is required to be provided
         to a consuming module, in order to be able to claim that the library
         is DKIM compliant.</t>

       <t>This does not state what the implicit value of "i=" is, relative to
        "d=".  In this context, that fact is irrelevant.</t>

       <t>Another example is the difference between the socket interface to 
TCP
         versus the TCP protocol itself.  There is the activity within the
         protocol
         stack, and then there is the activity within in the software 
libraries
         that are actually used.</t>

s/used/made visible to consumers/


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