I-D ACTION:draft-gellens-submit-02.txt

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       Title     : SMTP Message Submission and Relay                       
       Author(s) : H. Alvestrand, R. Gellens
       Filename  : draft-gellens-submit-02.txt
       Pages     : 6
       Date      : 11/25/1996

SMTP was defined as a message *relay* protocol, that is, a means for 
message transfer agents (MTAs) to route finished (complete) messages.  
SMTP forbids MTAs from altering the message text, except to add 
Received  headers.    

However, SMTP is now also widely used as a message *submission*
protocol, that is, a means for message user agents (MUAs) to introduce new 
messages into the MTA routing network.  Regardless of whether this is good 
or bad, it is far too late to change.    

Messages being submitted are in some cases finished (complete) messages, 
and in other cases are unfinished (incomplete) in some aspect or other.  
Unfinished (incomplete) messages need to be completed to ensure 
they conform to [RFC-822], [RFC-1123], and later requirements.  For example, 
the message may lack proper Date or Message-ID headers, and domains 
might not be fully qualified.  In some cases, the MUA may be unable 
to generate finished (complete) messages (for example, it might not 
know its time zone).  Even when submitted messages are finished (complete), 
local site policy may dictate that the message text be modified 
in some ways.  Such completions or modifications violate 
the letter and spirit of SMTP when used as a relay protocol.

This memo proposes a low cost, deterministic means for messages to be
identified as submissions or relays.                                            

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