Re: Make username optional in email addresses

Scott Antipa <[email protected]> Wed, 22 Feb 2023 10:44:51 -1000
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.smtp
Message-ID <CAG6nNWezvc+dEV=qMop31YtwNVz5M46-tfqto5fpPq9ePgt3eA@mail.gmail.com>
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This is really interesting! And doesnt break things. I would be curious to
hear your thoughts on some of the commenters to your post.

On Fri, Feb 17, 2023 at 12:47 PM Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

> Why not just have a specific email address which means that.
>
> In the same way that Web browsers will "autocomplete" a URL of "
> example.com" to "https://www.example.com", a compliant email client could
> "autocomplete" an email address of "example.com" to "[email protected]
> "
>
> The "something" could be fixed, or discovered via DNS or similar
>
> Then, MTAs wouldn't need changing at all. It'd just be a relatively minor
> change to MUAs (MUAs would need changing anyway), and it'd have automatic
> backwards compatibility with non-compliant MUAs
>
> On 17 February 2023 20:31:01 Scott Antipa <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hello all, this is my first time posting to this group, apologies if it's
>> not the right format!
>>
>> I have an idea for a potential RFC related to the rules for legal email
>> addresses. I wanted to post here for feedback (I previously emailed with
>> Dave Crocker who gave me great background on email address rules and
>> suggested I post here).
>>
>> My idea for the RFC is that I'd like email addresses to have the username
>> be optional. For example, if you own bobsmith.com then your emai
>> addressl could be bobsmith.com instead of [email protected].
>>
>> I personally want this for my personal email address and I would think a
>> ton of other people would find it fun, ergonomic, and simpler! It would
>> encourage the use of personal email addresses over @gmail etc email
>> addresses. I also think this will encourage people to use email more
>> frequently because once everyone understands that this syntax is possible,
>> they won't have to spend a ton of time searching on someone's website for
>> the correct email address ([email protected] vs [email protected] etc).
>> They can just assume that the website owner supports email directly to
>> domain.com.
>>
>> As Dave mentioned to me, this is of course a gigantic change which would
>> require changes to all the parsers out there in the wild. I'm not expecting
>> to just get a thumbs up here immediately. But I'd like to spark a
>> conversation and get feedback.
>>
>> Thanks everyone,
>> Scott Antipa
>> scottantipa.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> ietf-smtp mailing list
>> [email protected]
>> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf-smtp
>>
>>
>

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<div dir=3D"auto">This is really interesting! And doesnt break things. I wo=
uld be curious to hear your thoughts on some of the commenters to your post=
.=C2=A0</div><div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"=
gmail_attr">On Fri, Feb 17, 2023 at 12:47 PM Paul Smith &lt;<a href=3D"mail=
to:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote cla=
ss=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;pa=
dding-left:1ex"><u></u>

<div>
<div dir=3D"auto">
<div dir=3D"auto">Why not just have a specific email address which means th=
at.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">In the same wa=
y that Web browsers will &quot;autocomplete&quot; a URL of &quot;<a href=3D=
"http://example.com" target=3D"_blank">example.com</a>&quot; to &quot;<a hr=
ef=3D"https://www.example.com" target=3D"_blank">https://www.example.com</a=
>&quot;, a compliant email client could &quot;autocomplete&quot; an email a=
ddress of &quot;<a href=3D"http://example.com" target=3D"_blank">example.co=
m</a>&quot; to &quot;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_bl=
ank">[email protected]</a>&quot;</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div =
dir=3D"auto">The &quot;something&quot; could be fixed, or discovered via DN=
S or similar</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Then, MTAs =
wouldn&#39;t need changing at all. It&#39;d just be a relatively minor chan=
ge to MUAs (MUAs would need changing anyway), and it&#39;d have automatic b=
ackwards compatibility with non-compliant MUAs</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br><=
/div>
<div id=3D"m_-1593201442959489672aqm-original" style=3D"color:black">

<div>
<div style=3D"color:black">
<p style=3D"color:black;font-size:10pt;font-family:sans-serif;margin:8pt 0"=
>On 17 February 2023 20:31:01 Scott Antipa &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:scottantip=
[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:</p>
<blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 0.75e=
x;border-left:1px solid #808080;padding-left:0.75ex">
<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:tahoma,s=
ans-serif">Hello all, this is my first time posting to this group, apologie=
s if it&#39;s not the right format!</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=
=3D"font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" s=
tyle=3D"font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><div class=3D"gmail_default">I have =
an idea for a potential RFC related=C2=A0to the rules for legal email addre=
sses. I wanted to post here for feedback (I previously emailed with Dave Cr=
ocker who gave me great background on email address rules and suggested I p=
ost here).</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_=
default">My idea for the RFC is that I&#39;d like email addresses to have t=
he username be optional. For example, if you own<span>=C2=A0</span><a href=
=3D"http://bobsmith.com" target=3D"_blank">bobsmith.com</a><span>=C2=A0</sp=
an>then your emai addressl could be<span>=C2=A0</span><a href=3D"http://bob=
smith.com" target=3D"_blank">bobsmith.com</a><span>=C2=A0</span>instead of<=
span>=C2=A0</span><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">bob=
@bobsmith.com</a>.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=
=3D"gmail_default">I personally want this for my personal email address and=
 I would think a ton of other people would find it fun, ergonomic, and simp=
ler! It would encourage the use of personal email addresses over=C2=A0@gmai=
l etc email addresses. I also think this will encourage people to use email=
 more frequently because once everyone understands that this syntax is poss=
ible, they won&#39;t have to spend a ton of time searching on someone&#39;s=
 website for the correct email address (<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
m" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a> vs <a href=3D"mailto:sales@doma=
in.com" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a> etc). They can just assume t=
hat the website owner supports email directly to <a href=3D"http://domain.c=
om" target=3D"_blank">domain.com</a>.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><br=
></div><div class=3D"gmail_default">As Dave mentioned to me, this is of cou=
rse a gigantic change which would require changes to all the parsers out th=
ere in the wild. I&#39;m not expecting to just get a thumbs up here immedia=
tely. But I&#39;d like to spark a conversation and get feedback.</div><div =
class=3D"gmail_default"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default">Thanks every=
one,</div><div class=3D"gmail_default">Scott Antipa</div><div class=3D"gmai=
l_default"><a href=3D"http://scottantipa.com" target=3D"_blank">scottantipa=
.com</a></div></div></div>

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tf.org</a></div>
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_blank">https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ietf-smtp</a></div>
<div><br></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>


</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div>
</div></div>

</blockquote></div></div>

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