276 lines
8.7 KiB
HTML
Executable File
276 lines
8.7 KiB
HTML
Executable File
<HTML>
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<TITLE>New control lines for forwarding messages.</TITLE>
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<PRE>
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**********************************************************************
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FTSC FIDONET TECHNICAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
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**********************************************************************
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Publication: FSP-1008
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Revision: 2
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Title: New control lines for forwarded messages
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Author: Michael Hohner, 2:2490/2520.17
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Revision Date: 29 December 1997
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Expiry Date: 29 December 1999
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Contents:
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1. Specifications
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2. Usage
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3. Compatiblity
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4. Known implementations
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Status of this document
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-----------------------
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This document is a Fidonet Standards Proposal (FSP).
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This document specifies an optional Fidonet standard protocol for
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the Fidonet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
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improvements.
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This document is released to the public domain, and may be used,
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copied or modified for any purpose whatever.
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This revision is an update to FRL-0092.001. The basic specifications
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are unchanged.
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Abstract
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--------
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Most fidonet message editors offer a "forward" function. Using this
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function a user A ("forwarder") can sort of "redirect" a message
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from user B ("author") to another user C ("final recipient"), maybe
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because the forwarder is not the correct recipient, or because the
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final recipient is a better person to answer the message. The name
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and address of the author are usually included in the forward in
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free-text format. The message text is included in non-quoted format.
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A problem arises when the final recipient wants to reply to the
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author of the forwarded message. The forward contains the forwarder
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as the sender. So the final recipient must insert the name and
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address of the author manually, using the information contained in
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the message text. The message editor of the final recipient can't do
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this automatically because of the free-text format. The editor will
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also use incorrect quote initials, which is at least irritating.
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This document introduces 7 new control lines which contain the
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header information of the original message. With these control lines
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the message editor can use the original header information
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automatically.
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1. Specifications
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-----------------
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There are 7 new control lines: FWDFROM, FWDTO, FWDORIG, FWDDEST,
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FWDSUBJ, FWDAREA, FWDMSGID. As all control lines they start with an
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ASCII 01 character (SOH) followed by the control line name followed
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by whitespace followed by the control line's content followed by
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ASCII 13 (CR).
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Please note that all these control lines do not have a colon (like
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the control lines in FTS-0001). This would be just waste of space.
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FWDFROM
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-------
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This control line contains the name of the original sender as found
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in the FROM field of the original message. Leading and trailing
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whitespace should be removed. This control line should be omitted
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altogether if the FROM field is empty.
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FWDTO
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-----
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This control line contains the name of the original recipient as
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found in the TO field of the original message. Leading and trailing
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whitespace should be removed. This control line should be omitted
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altogether if the TO field is empty.
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FWDORIG
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-------
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This control line contains the address of the original sender as
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found in the ORIG field of the original message. The usual 5D ASCII
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notation (zone:net/node.point@domain) should be used. This control
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line should be omitted altogether if the address is not known.
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FWDDEST
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-------
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This control line contains the address of the original recipient as
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found in the DEST field of the original message. The usual 5D ASCII
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notation (zone:net/node.point@domain) should be used. This control
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line should be omitted altogether if the address is not known or
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unsure (as it is the case with forwarded echomail messages).
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FWDSUBJ
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-------
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This control line contains the subject line of the original message.
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This control line should be omitted altogether if the SUBJ field is
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empty.
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This control line should by made optional for security reasons. Echo
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manager passwords are too easily revealed with it.
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FWDAREA
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-------
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This control line contains the name of the echomail area where the
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original message was forwarded from. It should be omitted altogether
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if the original message was not forwarded from an echomail area.
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FWDMSGID
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--------
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This control line contains the MSGID control line of the original
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message. It should be omitted altogether if a MSGID control line is
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not present in the original message.
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2. Usage
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--------
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When the "forward" function of the message editor is invoked, the
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editor program should generate the proposed control lines from the
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header of the original message. If the original message already was
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a forwarded one (indicated by the presence of at least a FWDORIG
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control line), the editor should keep all FWD* control lines and
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should not add any FWD* control lines. This preserves the FWD*
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control lines of the first forwarder, containing the header data of
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the author of the original message.
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The editor should not generate FWD* control lines, if the message
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isn't to be forwarded. A mail forwarding robot may also generate
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these control lines, if it not just readdresses the message.
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When the "reply" function of the editor is invoked the program
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should use the control lines' contents instead of the header
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information. The control lines should not be included in the reply.
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Since it may not be immediately clear whether the user wants to
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reply to the forwarder or to the original sender, the editor should
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offer a means to ignore the proposed control lines and start a
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"normal" reply instead, e.g. by two distinct functions, by user
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preference or a dialog.
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Pseudo code:
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forwarding_message:
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if is_forwarded_message then
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don't change FWD* control lines
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else
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add FWD* control lines
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quoting_message:
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if is_forwarded_message then
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if reply_to_forwarder then
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use header data (normal quoting)
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else
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use FWD* control lines
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remove FWD* control lines from reply
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else
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use header data (normal quoting)
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other_functions:
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remove/ignore FWD* control lines
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Example:
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Message from Joe User to my boss node:
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From: Joe User 1:234/567
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To: Harry Herrmannsdoerfer 2:2490/2520
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Subj: Some questions
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@MSGID: 1:234/567 12345678
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Text: Hello Harry!
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...
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Harry forwards the message to me:
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From: Harry Herrmannsdoerfer 2:2490/2520
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To: Michael Hohner 2:2490/2520.17
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Subj: Joe's message
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@FWDFROM Joe User
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@FWDORIG 1:234/567
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@FWDTO Harry Herrmannsdoerfer
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@FWDDEST 2:2490/2520
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@FWDSUBJ Some questions
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@FWDMSGID 1:234/567 12345678
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Text: Hi Michael!
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...
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My answer using the new control lines:
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From: Michael Hohner 2:2490/2520.17
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To: Joe User 1:234/567
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Subj: Some questions
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@REPLY: 1:234/567 12345678
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Text: Hi Joe!
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JU> ...
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...
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3. Compatiblity
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---------------
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Editor programs which are not prepared for these proposed control
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lines usually just ignore them and remove them from a reply. A reply
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goes to the forwarder. Nothing gained and nothing lost.
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4. Known implementations
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------------------------
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This proposal is implemented in the author's Fidonet editor
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"FleetStreet for OS/2" (versions 1.17 and newer).
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Also implemented in Odinn Sorensens Fidonet editor "GoldED"
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(versions 3.00.Alpha5 and newer).
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A. Contacting the author
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------------------------
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The author may be contacted electronically at the following
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addresses:
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Fidonet: 2:2490/2520.17
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Internet: miho@osn.de
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Suggestions, comments and corrections are always welcome.
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B. History
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----------
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Rev.1, 19960912: First release as FSC-0092.001.
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Rev.2, 19971229: Submitted as FSP.
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**********************************************************************
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</PRE>
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