On Fri, 14 Dec 2007, Dave Crocker wrote:
Tony Finch wrote:
On Thu, 13 Dec 2007, Dave Crocker wrote:
While I think the proposed text gets across the distinction folks
are seeking, I'm concerned that it leads to a belief that one or the
other type of activity is not a list. My own view is that they are
both lists, but the former is a list that restricts itself
sufficiently to qualify as emulating an MTA.
I disagree. The distinction between aliases and lists is useful and should
not be muddied.
I am suspecting that there are three different functions here, not two.
1. I believe the 'alias' function refers to a RCPT-TO multi-cast expansion
and relaying mechanism that takes place during address resolution within the
delivery process, but before delivery takes place. [...]
2a. Except that the mailing list function can be distinguished by the degree
to which the new message is the same as the original message. When it is
essentially identical, except for the RCPT-TO list and some additional
handling fields, it is very close to the alias mechanism, but it isn't the
same. Still it is seeking to emulate an MTA (doing multicast.)
2b. Then there are mailing lists that do some amount of additional violence
to the message, possibly quite a bit.
To stress: The first and second are very similar, but they are not the same
and I think the differences are important.
In which case we should continue to use the term "alias" for type 1, and
we should continue to discourage type 2a lists that don't change the
return path.
Tony.
--
f.a.n.finch <dot(_at_)dotat(_dot_)at> http://dotat.at/
SOUTH FITZROY: VARIABLE 3 OR 4. MODERATE OR ROUGH. FAIR. GOOD.