----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Howarth" <paul(_at_)city-fan(_dot_)org>
To: <spf-discuss(_at_)v2(_dot_)listbox(_dot_)com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: [spf-discuss] No use of checking RFC2822 headers
In short, you guys are beating a dead horse with this subject of trying
to
"define" what a MUA will display. It is the HOST that you got to get
straight first.
So you're writing about the same email viewed with two different MUAs
(Outlook
and a webmail service) and then go on to say that it's the host that
defines
what things will look like. I fail to see how your evidence supports your
argument.
Because the host is two different things servicing two different media
types. You said WebMail. It could be a console display system. It could
be a QWK/OPX mail reader or a Fidonet Mail Reader. This is based on 25+
years of mail hosting and distribution with many different network and mail
formats so it will be very difficult for most to see the entire picture.
I'm lack of time, I didn't elaborate. I will try to do so now as best I
can.
First, where does the offline mail reader gets the information? From the
Host. In regards to internet email , the host is in full control of
properly preparing the RFC 822 compliment message required for the POP3 mail
reader.
Second, in this case, it was not the same mail. In one case it was a store
and forward POP3 situation where the end result is a RFC 822 required
format, and the other is not necessarily a RFC 822 required stored format
but a mime-stripped (conversion to pure text) message for multiple device
display capabilities. Your assumption is based the perspective that we have
an end-point to end-point pure 822 system. The facts are, this is not
reality. The reality is a heterogeneous world of systems, including
non-internet formats gated in and out of the system.
Third, most users belong to ISP or controlled intranets environments who are
in a much better position to determine what the integrity of the message is.
In short, what comes first, the chicken or the egg?
If your system is passing data to the user that is under the microscope,
then why isn't the host picking up on this itself? I guess that is what
some are after - what can the host do in order to 'help" the offline MUA
mail reader make its own decision?
This implies the host is in control of what is displayed and what reply
information is going to be used. The MUA can not changed unless the host is
preparing this "new" information for it.
Do I need to provide examples? I can show plenty of real world examples if
you like where the HOST can 100% alter - without being an issue of
compatibility, but rather what is expected, the display behavior of the MUA.
A quick example is the Received: date vs. the actual Date of the message
which will alter how mail is shorted in Outlook.
Sincerely,
Hector Santos, CTO
Santronics Software, Inc.
http://www.santronics.com
305-431-2846 Cell
305-248-3204 Office