WOOD@harvlaw1.harvard.edu (07/28/86)
The relative bizarreness of subject: headers in mail from bitnet sites can stem from a number of possible sources: 1) the type of mail system used on the bitnet host 2) whether BITNET users are using the SENDGATE.EXEC (on IBM) or BMAIL.COM (on vax/vms) command procedures. 3) What gateway the message is sent through. Many mail systems do not use the SMTP headers; however users may avail themselves of kluges to get around this by assembling appropriate headers (that's what SENDGATE and BMAIL do). BUT even if a proper header is assembled, some GATEWAY software will munge it and stuff in the bogus "BITNET MAIL FOLLOWS" 'pseudo-subject' line. I believe that gateways using BSMTP will do this. Other gateway software simply IGNORES the subject line altogether. UGH. I agree that bogons like this should be sought out and destroyed, but it's hard to find out who to complain to. Gateways are fragile critters at best, especially when we can't even get agreement on uniform usage of something as simple as SMTP headers. In any case, it is utterly futile to complain TO bitnet users about the sorry conditions of the BITNET-othernet gateways, without offering some advice. [for my part, bitnet users on vax/vms machines using jnet software can use my version of BMAIL.COM; it will build nice headers, but the gateways it uses may not be best for your sites. Send me your bitnet address and I'll send a copy. My bitnet address (in case you can't find it in the long header above) is WOOD@HARVLAW1 .] George Wood Project Pericles Harvard Law School.