Re: Custom headers - bug or feature

On 2009-11-20, Peter J Ross wrote:

> Neither do I, but my solution would be to prevent users from adding 
> headers that conflict with standard headers. Given a minimal amount of 
> technical skill, it's already easy to change headers after slrn has 
> generated them, but it shouldn't be made *too* easy.
>
>> John: would you like me to take a stab at patching this (which could
>> take awhile), or are you happier just to leave it on your queue?
>
> I'd rather such a patch were not made publicly available.

I don't see what harm this could do (but please correct me if I'm
wrong).  AIUI, users can get three kinds of effects from tinkering
with custom headers:

1. trivial misleading information in their posts, such as wrong
   User-Agent headers;

2. things that will prevent their messages from propagating anyway,
   such as malformed MIDs;

3. a few malicious things, such as forged Approved or Control headers
   (but AFAICT slrn doesn't affect these anyway).

If people do (1), who cares?  If they do (2), it's their own fault and
their own problem.  Anyone can do (3) anyway before the message leaves
the editor and (AFAICT) slrn won't affect it.

What am I missing?


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