Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!tolsoft!tron From: tron@tolerant.com (Ron Karr) Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc Subject: Re: configurable delimiters needed in aliases file for x.400 addresses Message-ID: <1990Jul22.123110.1198@tolerant.com> Date: 22 Jul 90 12:31:10 GMT References: <40713@think.Think.COM> <40888@think.Think.COM> Reply-To: tron@tolsoft.UUCP (Ron Karr,,439,) Organization: Tolerant Software Lines: 45 In article <40888@think.Think.COM> barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) writes: >Because email addresses have to be processed by computers, and used for >looking up information in a worldwide distributed database, and intended to >specify a particular person and even a specific choice of the roles the >person plays. > >On the other hand, street addresses are processed by humans. And phone >numbers don't get you to a particular person, they just get you to a phone >-- you still have to ask whoever answers "May I speak to so-and-so?". Just because a computer is going to process an address doesn't mean that the address should suddenly become more complicated. There is a great deal of both versatility AND compactness in the local-part@domain notation. I can use my full name: Ronald.S.Karr@VERITAS.COM I could (if the US domain were organized correctly) use something like: Ronald.S.Karr@VERITAS.CA.US to get the same basic information that one would find in regular US-mail addresses. But some things that you certainly get that is more difficult to get with the X.400 addresses that I have seen are: o the ability to remember an address, because it is simple o the ability to store large number of addresses in a compact and readable format o the ability to tell somebody a concise address over, say, a voice telephone connection to another human being. But realistically, I don't want to be required to use a prompting or windowing interface just to be able to enter E-mail addresses. I want to be able to type them, perhaps even in large numbers, on my command line. -- tron |-<=>-| ARPAnet: tolsoft!tron@apple.com tron@tolerant.com UUCPnet: {amdahl,apple,hoptoad}!tolsoft!tron