Message-ID: <19980819164003.A7592@hal.mpn.cp.philips.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:40:03 +0200
From: Jos Backus <Jos.Backus@nl.origin-it.com>
To: drums@cs.utk.edu
Subject: Re: VRFY discussion
Reply-To: Jos Backus <Jos.Backus@nl.origin-it.com>
References: <19980819093049.A14602@hal.mpn.cp.philips.com> <199808191439.QAA00274@quill>
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In-Reply-To: <199808191439.QAA00274@quill>; from Norbert Bollow on Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 04:39:04PM +0200

On Wed, Aug 19, 1998 at 04:39:04PM +0200, Norbert Bollow wrote:
> Nobody has time to learn everything, and be competent about everything.

Of course, thanks.

> Sure. But this should not be done by robots unless if this probe can be
> done with a message which the recipient wants to receive anyway.

Yes.

> Yes. This point should be made in some RFC which is intended to be read
> by site administrators, and not in the DRUMS documents.

Yes, methinks DRUMS should stay away from it (as far as I interpret its
charter, anyway).

> Which directory service would you use to verify e.g. that
> <bollow@dns.cyberlink.ch> is a valid e-mail address, while
> <nbollow@dns.cyberlink.ch> should be reported as an error?

The directory service would be able to supply you with information that
bollow@dns.cyberlink.ch allows you to have, if any.

> Spam is a problem. But why do you think the problem would get bigger
> if the spammers did automated address validation before sending their
> garbage? 

No, but it makes it easier for them to make their service more ``reliable''
(yuck).

> This doesn't need an additional response code... the appropriate means
> to communicate something like this is to put VRFY in the response to
> EHLO if you're willing to genuinely try to VRFY addresses.

That sounds like a good idea, yes.

> That is true. Maybe you could tell me about your work on the real
> solutions? (If this work is not directly related to the goals of DRUMS,
> please use private mail for that.)

Um, I'm into developing firewall software :-/

Groetjes,
-- 
Jos Backus                          _/  _/_/_/    "Reliability means never
                                   _/  _/   _/     having to say you're sorry."
                                  _/  _/_/_/               -- D. J. Bernstein
                             _/  _/  _/    _/
Jos.Backus@nl.origin-it.com  _/_/   _/_/_/        use Std::Disclaimer;