Re: Federation protocols

On 1 June 2013 18:34, Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net> wrote:

> Melvin Carvalho wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 1 June 2013 18:13, Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net <mailto:
>> mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>>> wrote:
>>
>>     Melvin Carvalho wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>         On 1 June 2013 16:50, Miles Fidelman
>>         <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>>>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>             Melvin Carvalho wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>                 On 1 June 2013 14:54, Miles Fidelman
>>                 <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >>
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>>>>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>                     Melvin Carvalho wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>                         On 1 June 2013 03:49, Miles Fidelman
>>                         <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >>
>>                         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >>>
>>                         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >>
>>
>>                         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>> >
>>                 <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net<mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>
>>         <mailto:mfidelman@**meetinghouse.net <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>>>>>>
>> wrote:
>>
>>                             Melvin Carvalho wrote:
>>
>>
>>                                 We could indeed use SMTP for messaging
>>         and it has
>>                         advantages,
>>                                 but it would be nice to get the web up
>>         to be
>>                 able to do
>>                                 something as simple as sending messages
>>                 between two
>>                         parties
>>                                 after more than 20 years.  We're not there
>>                 yet, and if
>>                         we can
>>                                 even achieve that small step it's a
>>         victory!
>>
>>
>>                             Umm, why?
>>
>>                             Messaging is messaging.  The "web" is HTTP and
>>                 hypertext -
>>                             client-server computing.  Two different
>>         things.
>>
>>                             And, by the way, there've been
>>         server-based email
>>                 systems
>>                         for at
>>                             least 60 years.
>>
>>
>>                         Try taking two users at random on the FSW on
>>         different
>>                         networks.  Then try sending a message from
>>         user 1 to
>>                 user 2.
>>                          In many cases there's no standard way to do it.
>>
>>
>>                     Ummm.... SMTP, SMS?
>>
>>
>>                 Sure what I mean is to translate that into the web.
>>          ie that
>>                 you have a sender address and receiver address with a
>>         message
>>                 body.  Major communication systems, SMS, email, telphone,
>>                 postal service all can do this, but strangely the web (ie
>>                 http) cant yet.  HTTP POST lets you send to an address
>>         and a
>>                 message body, but does NOT easily allow you to see who the
>>                 sender is.
>>
>>
>>             Might I point out that it really damages your credibility
>>         if you
>>             don't actually understand what different protocols do, and the
>>             whole concept of layering.
>>
>>
>>         Thanks for the feedback, I will try to be clearer, and am
>>         always happy to improve my understanding.  Re credibility, I
>>         wasnt sure I had any! :)
>>
>>
>>             HTTP POST does NOT allow you to send to an address - it
>>         allows you
>>             to do a transaction between a client and a server (a specific
>>             machine, or something that masquerades as a single
>>         machine).  Any
>>             messaging going on is layered on top of (or below) HTTP -
>>         as in
>>             posting an email message to a mail server via HTTP, instead of
>>             SMTP -- when you use webmail, all you're doing is layering
>>         a GUI
>>             on top of some messaging infrastructure.
>>
>>
>>         I see you point, but my understanding is that HTTP POST allows
>>         both headers and a payload.  The payload could in theory be
>>         used to send a message.  However, to add the address of the
>>         sending party is problematic, meaning that the receiver doesnt
>>         always easily know who the message was from.  There are a
>>         number of headers that could be used or this such as:
>>
>>         "From" : however this tends to be email only as it was
>>         inherited from the email paradigm
>>
>>         "User-Agent" : however this is used to identify the browser,
>>         rather than, the user.  Webmasters may note that spiders such
>>         as google and baidu actually stuff the http address of the
>>         spider into this field as part of a csv, though this is not idea.
>>
>>         To my knowledge, there's no top level header in the HTTP spec
>>         that allows you to identify an HTTP user.  We could make one,
>>         but that would be something new, that requires some text, and
>>         some consensus.
>>
>>
>>     Umm... HTTP authentication and/or SSL client side certificates.
>>
>>
>> Re HTTP Auth, are you saying it supported a userid that can be an http
>> profile?  If so, I'd love to know more...
>>
>>  Read the friggin spec! (hint: google "http authentication")
>

Hi Miles, you have not exceeded the level of etiquette I have come to
expect on this list.  If you are able to answer my question, I'd be happy
to hear from you.


>
> And that still begs the question: if you HAVE a userid, and you post a
> mail message in an HTTP envelope, you still need an addressing scheme and a
> mail distribution infrastructure.
>
>
> --
> In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
> In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra
>
>
>

Received on Saturday, 1 June 2013 16:39:32 UTC