Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ucbvax!CU.NIH.GOV!RAF
From: RAF@CU.NIH.GOV ("Roger Fajman")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re:  Certified SMTP mail
Message-ID: <9102190310.AA13500@alw.nih.gov>
Date: 19 Feb 91 03:09:04 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 35

> The postal service is paid to deliver your mail.  When you buy the
> service of registered mail, the postal service is required by law to
> deliver it and record the delivery in a way which you can rely on,
> legally.  You can request return receipts from the postal service as
> well, and the postal service has a big problem if you don't get a
> return receipt when the letter was received.  There is no one who can
> assume this responsibility in the Internet.  Thus, the "shortcoming"
> stems from the nature of the service provider involved, and SMTP
> reflects this.

At least in the US there is something called certified mail, which is
less stringent than registered mail.  It does not guarantee that the
letter will arrive, but simply keeps a record if it does.  You can also
request a return receipt, which can also get lost along the way back.
Even with registered mail, there is no assurance that the return
receipt will make it back to you.  Only the original letter is
safeguarded while enroute.  There is no such safeguarding for certified
mail.

We have email acknowledgements on some of our internal systems.  They
aren't used extensively, so the extra traffic is minimal.  The normal
reason for using them is to get some reasonable assurance that the
message did make it to the addressee.  The idea is to follow up if the
acknowledgement is not received in a reasonable time.  I don't think
that anyone believes that it is legally binding in any way.  Regardless
of what you think of acknowledgements, they are a feature that many
people want.

This discussion more properly belongs on the header-people list.  Also,
there is now an IETF working group considering enhancements to RFCs 821
and 822.

Roger Fajman                                   Telephone:  +1 301 402 1246
National Institutes of Health                  BITNET:     RAF@NIHCU
Bethesda, Maryland, USA                        Internet:   RAF@CU.NIH.GOV