spf-discuss
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Arguments regarding "complexity"

2003-12-19 12:20:06
Regarding complaints that SPF is "too complex" ... I wonder if it would help or hurt the cause to have some recommendations for a "minimal" implementation of SPF. This might address concerns such as Eric Allman's "must be doable in rules"...

Something like, "If the receiving mail system does not support certain mechanisms, such as exists, include, redirect, or anything containing macro expansions, the result should be "unknown" and processing should stop. For example if the spf info for a domain is
 v=spf1 +a +mx +exists:%{i}.%{s}.spf.domain.com -all
then processing would return "Pass" if the A or MX tests pass, and if the client does not implement exists or the macro expansion, then processing should return "unknown" and not continue on to the -all directive.

The absolute minimum for SPF compliance is support for a, mx, ptr, and ip4/ip6 ranges. This should cover the published SPF info for most domains."


Personally, I think any SPF implementation that doesn't implement everything in the draft will be found to be deficient and replaced with something better, quickly. I think it's more about giving people options and being able to say SPF is flexible enough to meet *everyone's* needs, even if they choose not to use the whole thing... In other words I don't expect many "incomplete" implementations, but I am floating this suggestion so we might have something to answer those objections right now, even if we believe the objection would have been (will be) resolved on its own some better way later.
--
Greg Connor <gconnor(_at_)nekodojo(_dot_)org>

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