Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs

Daniel Feenberg <feenberg@nber.org> Fri, 05 February 2010 15:15 UTC

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Date: Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:15:23 -0500
From: Daniel Feenberg <feenberg@nber.org>
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Subject: Re: [Asrg] Adding a spam button to MUAs
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On Fri, 5 Feb 2010, John Levine wrote:

>> I haven't been following this thread very closely, but why not just
>> establish a standard role account on the MUAs designated POP or IMAP
>> server? Such as arf@pop.example.com? It effectively "preconfigures" the
>> MUA since "arf" is standard and "example.com" is already known to the MUA.
>> The less configuration the better, I think.
>
> Sorry, wouldn't work.  The name of the POP or IMAP server need not
> bear any relationship to any email address.  For example, on my
> system, the server is named imap.iecc.com (yes, even for POP, it
> deters the clueless) but there are not imap.iecc.com addresses at all.

I don't understand why this is relevant. If the MTA operator doesn't want 
to support this feature, he doesn't have to. But if he does wish to 
support the feature he needs to supply an MX record or accept mail on the 
POP or IMAP server. Is that such a great burden? Compared to the other 
suggestions here?

I you are going to ask both MUA and MTA software to both be modified 
before the protocol will work, then that is an insuperable obstacle that 
will surely prevent any implementation from occurring. Only MS can act 
with such total disregard for implementation incentives.

Daniel Feenberg

>
> R's,
> John
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