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On 16 Nov 2011, at 16:10, C Nulk wrote:
I can't help but consider the rash of useless Mediator headers. Consider the following example:
Person 1 sends a message to a list which is then sent to Person 2. Person 1's site has separate appliances for the MTA, Spam checking, Anti-Virus, and Spy-ware, likewise for the receiver's site and the site the MLM is for the list. My reading of the above definitions tells me:
- Person 1's MUA adds a Mediator header (creating a message is a simple special case of modifying/adding a message,
But, there are already headers to identify the creator. There's no need to use a mediator header to duplicate other information.
- Person 1's site adds 4 additional Mediator headers (one each for the MTA, Spam, Anti-Virus, Spy-ware since each modify/forward/add to the message,
The MTA would use a "received" header, not a mediator header. If the message is routed through the other systems, then they should already add received headers. If the message isn't routed through those systems (e.g., the systems are plugged in to the MTA, then there's no need to add mediator headers).
- The MLM's site adds 9 additional Mediator headers (4 inbound [item 2], 1 for the MLM [maybe more], and 4 outbound),
- Person 2's site adds 4 additional Mediator headers (4 inbound [item 2]),
- Person 2's MUA may or may not add a Mediator header depending on any rules/filters Person 2 has in place.
-- Ian Eiloart Postmaster, University of Sussex +44 (0) 1273 87-3148