----- Original Message -----
From: "Margaret Olson" <molson(_at_)constantcontact(_dot_)com>
To: "Greg Connor" <gconnor(_at_)nekodojo(_dot_)org>; "Margaret Olson"
<molson(_at_)roving(_dot_)com>
Cc: <ietf-mxcomp(_at_)imc(_dot_)org>
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 8:09 AM
Subject: Re: towards a compromise
I can see that some members here *really* want to be able to include
some
tags that say "Don't do 2821 checking" or "Don't do 2822 checking". I'm
not really against this, but I *STILL* have not seen a real-world
example
of why this might be needed (or even a hypothetical example).
This I think is your general point, and I agree.
I brought this up once before.
The closest thing to this technology is Fidonet with its WAZOO/IEMSI
protocol.
The Fidonet nodelist (akin to DNS) contains the server "policy record" and
describes attributes such as:
- how to authenticate (method, FTSC1, WAZOO, IEMSI)
- Allowable hours,
- Private vs. Public
- Data transfer methods available,
- Assigned product codes for software accreditation
etc.
The irony?
The demise of Fidonet was perpetuated due to the conflicts between the
Fidonet Technical Standard Committee (FTSC) chairs and FTN (Fidonet
Technical Note akin to a RFC) writers and developers. In short, Developers
wanted progress (the internet was coming) and the FTSC wanted all developers
to keep the minimum FTSC1 requirement for authentication. No FTSC1 support,
no Product Codes assigned or sysops using your non-conformant software were
not given Nodelist entries. Wouldn't that be nice for DNS <g> FTSC1 and
its companion File Transport protocol (modified xmodem) was outdated,
clumsy, weak, hard to program and didn't work well in X.25, packet
switching, Internet environment. As a matter of fact, the FTSC1
authentication process was part the DATA packet! WAZOO/IEMSI with its
internet friendly FTP was easier to program and you didn't need to transfer
the data to authenticate! Today, the FTSC no longer exist (many are now
our rich ISPs) and the FTN people took over.
--
Hector Santos, Santronics Software, Inc.
http://www.santronics.com