"Alex" == Alex van den Bogaerdt
"Re: draft-schlitt-spf-02pre1 now available"
Sun, 26 Dec 2004 13:37:13 +0100
Alex> 2.1:
Alex> "Note that requirements for the domain presented in
Alex> the EHLO and HELO commands are not strict, and software
Alex> must be prepared for the "HELO" identity to be
Alex> malformed."
Alex> Requirements _are_ strict. RFC2821 is clear on this:
Alex> 2.3.5 describes the domain name
Alex> 3.6 describes the domain name again
Alex> 4.1.1.1 describes the helo parameter
Alex> There can be only one of the following two: -1- The FQDN of
Alex> the host -2- Its address
Alex> Saying that the requirements "are not strict" not only is a
Alex> false statement (IMHO!) but also validates the abuse
Alex> frequently seen.
Alex> However, there is a lot of confusion and therefore there are
Alex> a lot of bad clients out there. I suggest:
Alex> "Note that requirements for the domain presented in the
Alex> EHLO or HELO command are not always clear to the sending
Alex> party, and receiving software must be prepared for the
Alex> "HELO" identity to be malformed."
"must be prepared" -> "might want to be prepared" OR "should be
prepared" or, better yet IMHO, omit the entire section rather than
endorse brokenness by attempting to specify a work around. Save that
for elsewhere, like a BCP.
jam