Lists and aliases (Re: Last Call: draft-klensin-rfc2821bis (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to Draft Standard (1))

--On 10. desember 2007 15:22 -0800 Ned Freed <ned.freed@mrochek.com> wrote:

>> 2. The mailing lists described in 2821 are very simple redistribution
>> lists, as opposed to the "fairly sophisticated forums for group
>> communication" [2919] described in these documents. For simple
>> aliasing and redistribution lists, I think the "MUST be left
>> unchanged" is appropriate.
>
> The key point is that this is redistribution prior to final delivery.
> Sophisticated list processors in effect submit a new message to the
> transport
> infrastructure and do not fall under this prohibition.

Would it be a reasonable thing to add a note saying that "there exist 
things that call themselves lists but are doing processing other than what 
is described here; such lists should be described as delivery followed by a 
submission, and alterations are therefore outside the rules"?

I'd also be happy with losing the normative language about what lists do 
apart from replacing MAIL FROM; I don't see an upside to having the 
prohibition in here for lists, since it doesn't match widespread practice. 
(I do want to keep the prohibition for aliases!)

> Now, having said this, the minor one issue I do see with section 3.10 is
> that
> the "lists MUST change the envelope from" requirement is actually a
> tautology:
> Lists as distinct from aliases as defined as redistributors that change
> the
> envelope from address. The requirement that lists do the one thing that
> defines
> them appears to have originated in the department of redundancy
> department.

My memory claims that it originated in the department of terminology war 
peace negotiations - when faced with having to come up with a definition of 
"alias" and "list", the group settled for "if it alters MAIL FROM, it's a 
list, if it doesn't, it's an alias". Thus, the real point of the section is 
the terminology (he said, redundantly).

               Harald

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