Re: [ga] Proposals received for Nominations for the election of aChair to the GA

[John C Klensin <klensin@mci.net>]

Dennis,

--On Saturday, November 20, 1999 23:22 -0800 d3nnis
<d3nnis@mciworld.com> wrote:

> Dear DNSO Secretariat --
> 
> You said, in essence " We told you on Sep. 19 that you have a
> problem at your end with multiple message id's that prevent
> you from posting."
>
> You neglected to mention that I reported to your that my ISP
> (MCI) shot that explanation down. They have only one ID -- and
> the problem is at your end.

I don't know whom you talked with --if you can tell me (private
mail, the list really doesn't need to be cluttered with these
details), I'll be sure that person understands how to give a
better explanation next time-- but MessageIDs are supplied by
client software (i.e., on your end and at your machine) and not
by anything at the ISP end.   The server software that is used
to support relaying for customer accounts under the MCIWorld.com
service/product can be configured (and is, if I
recall,configured)  to insert a message-ID if the client does
not provide one, but, that particular MTA software inserts
unique message-IDs when it does so, not a constant one.
What it won't do is to change a message-ID if it receives one
from the client -- that would cause a real mess.

The email software that MCI WorldCom recommends to
"mciworld.com" users, regardless of its other strengths and
weaknesses, provides competent and unique message-IDs.

All of this is according to the protocols: if clients are
supposed to supply message-IDs, if a client provides one, it is
required to be unique.  So, the bottom line here is that you
have found  email client software somewhere that inserts
message-ID fields but does not provide unique ones.   You have
done this contrary to the advice of your ISP and contrary to the
advice of the secretariat.  and are now trying to blame both
because the list management software is trying to stop
recirculating and archiving duplicate messages.

Get yourself a different client -- there are lots of decent ones
out there, many of them free for non-commercial use.

Incidentally, I'd be a little curious about what you are using
and where you got it.  The only mail-sending software packages I
know of that routinely generate non-unique message-IDs are
designed for spamming and/or faking email origins; if there is
one out there that is otherwise legitimate, I'd be interested in
finding out what it is and why its authors committed this
stupidity.

     john