[ietf-smtp] Re: Examples of pseudonymous email services

Hector Santos <[email protected]> Tue, 28 May 2024 13:33:16 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.smtp
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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Dave,  if I follow,  each hosting system has a database of users. The =
Wlldcat! platformed born in the 80s, used an User.Info.Name and =
User.Info.ID in the DB as two methods to login at a prompt. Anonymity =
was not allowed because accountability was more important.  Some =
platforms allowed an User.Info.Alias (per forum) and today, most systems =
use an User.Info.EmailAddress or User.Info.Phone for login. =20

But when it comes to Networking Mail, exporting/importing mail, we =
started with the default method using the familiar  Novell CC:Mail MHS =
method of Dotted translated user names.  Dotted for exporting email and =
undotted for importing email to a direct map to the user account =
name/id:

char *MakeDotName(char *psz)
{
	char *p =3D psz;
	while (*p) {
		switch (*p) {
		case ' ': *p =3D '.'; break;
		case '.': *p =3D '_'; break;
		}
		p++;
	}
	return psz;
}

char *UnDotName(char *psz)
{
	char *p =3D psz;
	while (*p) {
		switch (*p) {
		case '.': *p =3D ' '; break;
		case '_': *p =3D '.'; break;
		}
		p++;
	}
	return psz;
}


Wildcat! BBS also provided alternative export and import translations =
for users.  This could appear as a method for anonymous-looking email =
but there is still a logged accounting back to the source and currently, =
this is a permission-based by user request concept.


All the best,
Hector Santos



> On May 28, 2024, at 12:00=E2=80=AFPM, Dave Crocker <[email protected]> =
wrote:
>=20
> A gracious good morning from the US West Coast.
>=20
> I should know some answers to this, but am not recalling specifics.
>=20
> There is a long-standing construct of creating a one-time -- or =
recipient-specific -- mailbox string for the author's email address.
>=20
> Sometimes, this is done in a way to decouple the string from the =
author's registered login, thereby offering a degree of =
pseudo-anonymity.
>=20
> A service offering that decoupling -- so, for example, the string does =
not contain the user's login string -- must create a mapping between the =
pseudonymous string and the user associated with it.
>=20
> What are some examples of this being done?
>=20
> d/
>=20
> --=20
> Dave Crocker
> Brandenburg InternetWorking
> bbiw.net
> mast:@[email protected]
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> ietf-smtp mailing list -- [email protected]
> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]


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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div>Dave, =
&nbsp;if I follow, &nbsp;each hosting system has a database of users. =
The Wlldcat! platformed born in the 80s, used an User.Info.Name and =
User.Info.ID in the DB as two methods to login at a prompt. Anonymity =
was not allowed because accountability was more important. &nbsp;Some =
platforms allowed an User.Info.Alias (per forum) and today, most systems =
use an User.Info.EmailAddress or User.Info.Phone for login. =
&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>But when it comes to Networking Mail, =
exporting/importing mail, we started with the default method using the =
familiar &nbsp;Novell CC:Mail MHS method of Dotted translated user =
names. &nbsp;Dotted for exporting email and undotted for importing email =
to a direct map to the user account =
name/id:</div><div><br></div><div><div><font face=3D"Courier New">char =
*MakeDotName(char *psz)</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier =
New">{</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>char *p =3D=
 psz;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>while =
(*p) {</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>switch (*p) {</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>case ' ': *p =3D '.'; break;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier=
 New"><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>case '.': *p =3D '_'; break;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier=
 New"><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>}</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>p++;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	=
</span>}</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>return =
psz;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier =
New">}</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier =
New"><br></font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New">char =
*UnDotName(char *psz)</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier =
New">{</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>char *p =3D=
 psz;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>while =
(*p) {</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>switch (*p) {</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>case '.': *p =3D ' '; break;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier=
 New"><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>case '_': *p =3D '.'; break;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier=
 New"><span class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>}</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">		=
</span>p++;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	=
</span>}</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier New"><span =
class=3D"Apple-tab-span" style=3D"white-space:pre">	</span>return =
psz;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Courier =
New">}</font></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Wildcat! BBS =
also provided alternative export and import translations for users. =
&nbsp;This could appear as a method for anonymous-looking email but =
there is still a logged accounting back to the source and currently, =
this is a permission-based by user request =
concept.</div><div><br></div><br =
id=3D"lineBreakAtBeginningOfMessage"><div>
<div>All the best,</div><div>Hector Santos</div><div><br></div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline">

</div>


<div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On May 28, 2024, at 12:00=E2=80=AF=
PM, Dave Crocker &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div><div>A gracious good morning =
from the US West Coast.<br><br>I should know some answers to this, but =
am not recalling specifics.<br><br>There is a long-standing construct of =
creating a one-time -- or recipient-specific -- mailbox string for the =
author's email address.<br><br>Sometimes, this is done in a way to =
decouple the string from the author's registered login, thereby offering =
a degree of pseudo-anonymity.<br><br>A service offering that decoupling =
-- so, for example, the string does not contain the user's login string =
-- must create a mapping between the pseudonymous string and the user =
associated with it.<br><br>What are some examples of this being =
done?<br><br>d/<br><br>-- <br>Dave Crocker<br>Brandenburg =
InternetWorking<br>bbiw.net<br>mast:@[email protected]<br><br>_____=
__________________________________________<br>ietf-smtp mailing list -- =
[email protected]<br>To unsubscribe send an email to =
[email protected]<br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></body></ht=
ml>=

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