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From: gds@mit-eddie.UUCP (Greg Skinner)
Newsgroups: net.mail
Subject: Re: Mail routing -- problems showing up
Message-ID: <4787@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 18:22:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.4787
Posted: Fri Jul 26 18:22:57 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 08:12:19 EDT
References: <3018@nsc.UUCP> <2875@topaz.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: MIT Lusers and Hosers Inc., Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 38

I have always held that there should be precedence-specifying characters
(i know parens are already in use, but we could use another character
like {, or even change rfc822, for the purposes of cross-net mailing
where domains are not yet in effect).  It's not that hard to do, and it
makes sense (like in a compiler).

I should never be restricted to expressions like

2 * 3 + 4

in my programming language if I have a need to multiply the quantity 3 +
4 by 2, I should be (and am able) to do this by saying

2 * (3 + 4)

I shouldn't have to worry about my context (am I in a *-over-+
environment, or not?).  Similarly, if I'm on a machine that has
!-over-@, I should be able to get my UUCP mail through another ARPA
machine if I need to, e.g.

{allegra!friend}@harvard.arpa

By introducing {}'s and maintaining the same philosophy that whatever
lies on the local part of the ! or @ should be handled by the local
machine, it will be easier to cross multiple network boundaries without
having to use %, or sendmail trickery, or hardwired paths, etc.

As an example, chuqui's uucp->arpa->uucp problem is handled easily --
all he needs to do is send to

decwrl!{{allegra!friend}@harvard.arpa}
-- 
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards,
for they are subtle and quick to anger.

Greg Skinner (gregbo)
{decvax!genrad, allegra, ihnp4}!mit-eddie!gds
gds@mit-eddie.mit.edu