Re: FW: Comments on Malformed Message BCP draft

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>I'm strongly opposed to MTAs "fixing" malformed messages (other than =
>submission servers fixing a small number of known problems caused by =
>broken mail clients).
>If an MTA does anything at all when it thinks that a message is =
>malformed, it should be to bounce it _exactly as it received it =
>originally_.

>MTAs trying to fix malformed messages, at best, mask problems further =
>upstream that should be fixed.   At worst, they exacerbate existing =
>problems and make such problems harder to diagnose.

Yes, but there are other possibilities (yes, 'fixing' is to be avoided).
But for suitable messages (for some meaning of "suitable") you could send
a bounce back up the return path of the following form:

"Your message is non-compliants for reasons <blah>. Although we have
attempted to deliver it, you need to be aware that it may fail to reach
its intended recipient, and we would suggest that you endeavour to make
future messages compliant with the relevant internet standards <blah list
of standards blah>."

That way, the message (probably) gets through, but the sender gets pissed
off sufficiently to complain to his provider, threatening to vote with his
feet, etc. etc.

So this piles pressure on providers to adhere to standards (a Good Thing)
but still allows the mail to get through (also a Good Thing).

-- 
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131            Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
Email: [email protected]      Snail: 5 Clerewood Ave, CHEADLE, SK8 3JU, U.K.
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