[Frank Ellermann]
Chris Haynes wrote:
There are four parties in your I18N scenarios:
[...]
2 - a user of addresses in this domain sending his mail with...
[...]
only the browser of "2" knows these language preferences. Therefore I still
think that "2" (= the user) should GET the exp= URL
Completely support your MUA-only explanation retrival idea.
Why ?
1. Only first bounce will deliver valuable information for user.
All future bounces with included HTML page will be useless.
User will be already aware on ISP support page existance
No needs to increase useless bounces traffic.
As well limited-resources devices like cell-phones/PDAs
will be unable to remove your HTML attachment.
2. Support page can be different for different MUA.
Steps to configure MUA must be given for correct version.
I dislike long lists of :
If your mail agent is Outlook do 1. , 2. , 3., 4.
If your mail agent is Netscape Communicator do 1. , 2. , 3.
etc ..
I preffer correct page with steps how to configure MUA will be given
For example if http:// page will be requested by cell-phone,
WAP/WML anwer must be given. Not a generic HTML.
3. Autodetection of language at MTA level is no reliable.
The same email address can be used by more then one person.
Original email message can be without any word - simply an image or document
attachment.
No way to detect language at 100%.
As result you need to provide a way to change language at MUA level and perform
additional GET requests.
4. Attached explanation page no way can deliver all information to solve user
problem.
IMHO, It must be a start page with different choices and links to additional
detailed information.
5. MTA automated retrival can be used for abuse.
I can will be able to force Microsoft.Com MTA to download pages from anythere
in the world.
For example from Microsoft internal network starting from http://msmarket/ URL
;o)
Summary:
http support page link inside explanation is valuable feature. But web-page
retrival must be performed at MUA level.
Standarts must propose recomended format of exp: messages and document process
of retrival (as an optional feature)
--
Andriy G. Tereshchenko
TAG Software
Odessa, Ukraine
http://www.24.odessa.ua