[net.mail.headers] observation

cak@Purdue.ARPA (Christopher A Kent) (04/12/84)

Note that the DEC domain appears only on the left hand side of the @,
so it's a local convention. I haven't seen any letters come out that
have just "user@host.DEC" as the return address, and I don't expect to
until (if) .DEC becomes a top-level domain.

It's really unfortunate that a) DECNET uses :: as the user/host
separator, and b) rfc822 is so written that this can't be properly
parsed.

    Return-Path: <@MIT-MC:RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA>
    Received: from MIT-MC by SRI-NIC.ARPA with TCP; Wed 11 Apr 84 04:40:06-PST
    Date: Wed 11 Apr 84 07:24:34-EST
    From: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
    Subject: Re: losing header munging at udel relay
    Sender: RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA
    To: Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA
    cc: header-people@MIT-MC.ARPA
    Reply-To: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
    In-Reply-To: Message from "Greg Skinner <Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA>" of Wed 11 Apr 84 04:48:59-EST
    UUCP-address: "{ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!rhea!castor!covert"
    ENET-address: "Castor::Covert"
    Phone: "(603) 884-8271 or DTN 264-8271"


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wcwells%ucbopal.CC@Berkeley.ARPA (William C. Wells) (04/12/84)

In reply to:

   Date: Wed 11 Apr 84 23:12:40-PST
   From: David Roode <ROODE@SRI-NIC.ARPA>
   Subject: observation
   To: Header-people@MIT-MC.ARPA
   Location:  EJ286    Phone: (415) 859-2774

   The headers on the following message display a nightmarish combination
   of domain-style host names and routing-style recipient addresses.
   I cannot help making this observation.  A previous message
   referred to confusion between RHEA.DEC and RHEA.ARPA (RICE-RHEA).
   What gives the domain "DEC" legitimacy?
     
       Return-Path: <@MIT-MC:RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA>
       Received: from MIT-MC by SRI-NIC.ARPA with TCP; Wed 11 Apr 84 04:40:06-PST
       Date: Wed 11 Apr 84 07:24:34-EST
       From: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
       Subject: Re: losing header munging at udel relay
       Sender: RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA
       To: Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA
       cc: header-people@MIT-MC.ARPA
       Reply-To: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
       In-Reply-To: Message from "Greg Skinner <Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA>" of Wed 11 Apr 84 04:48:59-EST
       UUCP-address: "{ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!rhea!castor!covert"
       ENET-address: "Castor::Covert"
       Phone: "(603) 884-8271 or DTN 264-8271"
     
   -------

I don't see any problem with the above header.  The "DEC" is part of
the local address (not the domain). The UUCP-address and ENET-address
fields are user comments since they are not defined in RFC-822.
What the problem?

Assuming the gateway from DEC to ARPA mail domain puts the DEC address
in the Internet local address and adds a valid Internet domain name
to the right of the "@" there is no problem for the Internet mail world.

Bill Wells
wcwells@Berkeley.ARPA

mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (04/13/84)

	What gives the domain "DEC" legitimacy?

DEC is as legitimate a domain as any of the others (UUCP, CSNET)
that are currently being used.  ARPA is not recognizing any domains
other than ARPA right now, although they have published dates by
which they are willing to consider them.  However, these domains
exist and are being used, whether or not ARPA recognizes them.

That particular message header you showed had the DEC domain entirely
hidden on the LHS, e.g.
    From: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
This is entirely within 822 guidelines even if DEC is not known on ARPA,
as long as Purdue-Merlin knows how to gateway it.  From all appearances,
the gateway is doing fine.

	Mark Horton

ROODE@SRI-NIC.ARPA (David Roode) (04/18/84)

The headers on the following message display a nightmarish combination
of domain-style host names and routing-style recipient addresses.
I cannot help making this observation.  A previous message
referred to confusion between RHEA.DEC and RHEA.ARPA (RICE-RHEA).
What gives the domain "DEC" legitimacy?
  
    Return-Path: <@MIT-MC:RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA>
    Received: from MIT-MC by SRI-NIC.ARPA with TCP; Wed 11 Apr 84 04:40:06-PST
    Date: Wed 11 Apr 84 07:24:34-EST
    From: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
    Subject: Re: losing header munging at udel relay
    Sender: RSX-DEV@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA
    To: Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA
    cc: header-people@MIT-MC.ARPA
    Reply-To: covert%castor.DEC@Purdue-Merlin.ARPA
    In-Reply-To: Message from "Greg Skinner <Gds@MIT-XX.ARPA>" of Wed 11 Apr 84 04:48:59-EST
    UUCP-address: "{ucbvax,allegra,decvax}!decwrl!rhea!castor!covert"
    ENET-address: "Castor::Covert"
    Phone: "(603) 884-8271 or DTN 264-8271"
  
  
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