spf-discuss
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Re: Email Forwarder's Protocol ( EFP )

2005-02-27 12:52:27
It's a catch-22. MTAs send DSNs to the envelope sender, but SPF mandates that 
the envelope sender change.

Four solutions (from easiest to most difficult):

1. SRS.
2. Store instead of forward.
3. Forwarder whitelisting.
4. Alter DSN/return-path behavior.

RFC 2821 really botches up this whole return-path business.

RFC 2821 return-path behavior:

1. Delete return-path headers.
2. Create a return-path header if you think you should.
3. Delete return-path headers.
4. Create a return-path header.

This makes no sense to me, whatever. It's like you put a letter in the mailbox 
and when the mailman picks it up, he erases the return address. Then, an 
intermediate post office writes a return address. Then, the destination post 
office erases the return address and then writes one. Then, when a delivery 
failure occurs, the letter is sent back to an intermediate post office instead 
of the original sender.

I think fixing this behavior is the best solution, albeit most difficult. MTAs 
should send DSNs to the return-path and the return-path header should be 
created by the originating MUA. The MSA may alter the return-path according to 
local policy. Subsequent MTAs/MDAs should preserve the return-path header 
already in place. Wow, that'll never happen.

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