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From: avolio@decuac.dec.com (Frederick M. Avolio)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.headers
Subject: Re: Wanted: Messed-Up Mail Headers
Message-ID: <3301@decuac.DEC.COM>
Date: 7 Sep 90 12:20:14 GMT
References: <63881@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Sender: news@decuac.DEC.COM
Reply-To: avolio@decuac.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Washington ULTRIX Resource Center
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Originator: avolio@gildor.dco.dec.com

I believe coding for weird mail headers is wrong.  I suggest you follow the
rules in the RFCs and leave it at that.  Why?  Because most screwed up
mail headers -- for example, something like this:

	From:  host!host2!host3::other!thing@something!else

are too screwy to be usable anyway.  One of the things wrong with the
Berkeley Mail program (in 4.2) was that it tried to be smart about
the headers (it had built-in smarts about BerkNet, etc... kind of like
the finger program expecting people to be in one of 3 Halls at UCB).

I don't think you want to handle any screwy headers.  You software will
probably guess wrong anyway.  Mail handlers along the way have the
responsibility for maintaining usable reply addresses, etc.

Fred