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Re: [mail-vet-discuss] Last Call: draft-kucherawy-sender-auth-header (Message Header Field for Indicating Message Authentication Status) to Proposed Standard

2008-12-02 17:12:52


SM wrote:
I suggest:

   INFORMATIVE IMPLEMENTATION NOTE:

   The DKIM specification advises that if a message fails 
verification, it should be
   treated as an unsigned message.  A verifier may elect to report 
"neutral" instead of
   "fail" to discourage needlessly harsh reactions from downstream 
agents such as message
   rejection based on a "fail" result.

I like the approach, but a) suggest avoiding use of normative words, like 
'may', 
and b) suggest the second sentence be even less directive, for example:

     The DKIM specification advises that if a message fails verification, it 
should be treated as an unsigned message.  A report of "fail" permits the 
receiver of the report to decide how to handle the failure.  A report of 
"neutral" pre-empts that choice.


I've suggested purely objective language that lays out the mechanical 
implication of the two choices.  Frankly, I think that that is plenty.  If 
there 
is consensus to say more, I suppose an additional sentence could be included:

     Hence a report of neutral ensures that the message will be treated as if 
it 
had not been signed.

d/

-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net
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