Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: New Host-Requirement RFCs
Message-ID: <1989Oct23.173855.1370@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <8910201839.AA29376@arcturus.mitre.org>
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 89 17:38:55 GMT

In article <8910201839.AA29376@arcturus.mitre.org> barns@GATEWAY.MITRE.ORG writes:
>This theory holds that even if you're not on the Internet, you can
>register yourself and get your name into some server with an MX pointing
>to the appropriate gateway(s) for mail to your non-Internet network.
>According to this reasoning, you don't actually need the % hack...

The problem with this theory is that it doesn't really address the issue
of *inter*networking at all.  What it says is "join our network, then
there's no problem".  Defining the problem out of existence is not the
same as solving it.  At any time in the foreseeable future, there *will*
be unregistered sites that one wants to get mail to.  So the people in
charge of moving mail will continue to do what they've always done:  move
the mail, and ignore inconvenient RFCs that try to legislate a perfect
world.  The % hack, or something similar, remains necessary.
-- 
A bit of tolerance is worth a  |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
megabyte of flaming.           | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu