On Thu, 19 May 2005, Alex van den Bogaerdt wrote:
PASS: We do trust this IP not to send forgeries (and do use it)
NEUTRAL: We don't trust this IP but it is allowed to use our name
SOFTFAIL: We don't trust this IP but some of us may (still) be
using it by mistake. Please give us some slack and do
notify us of any usage if you like
FAIL: We don't trust nor use this IP. Please don't bother us
with DSNs, auto-replies, vacation messages and the like.
I really like that. It avoids the problematic words (authorize,authentic),
and makes it crystal clear. The auth words have specific technical
meanings in cryptography, and since SPF is not a cryptographic
system, avoiding them avoids confusion.
Don't start arguing about the meaning of 'trust'.
No semantic mapping is every perfect, and peoples idea of 'trust'
is going to differ, but I think this wording will result in a
reasonable mapping for almost everyone.
Random thought:
Interestingly, the word 'trust' is also important for mapping arguments
about the meaning of 'faith' in Catholic/Protestant debates.
--
Stuart D. Gathman <stuart(_at_)bmsi(_dot_)com>
Business Management Systems Inc. Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.