8-7-8-7-8-.... (a suggestion)

[Shannon Yeh <yeh@xxxxxxxxx>]

If the motivation for having an 8-bit smtp is to keep x.400 in picture, 
please ignore this message (I am not qualified to make comments on the
x.400 related issues.).

Otherweise, we'd better keep the current 7-bit protocol and
port number. If people really like to have an 8-bit protocol for
message delivery, we might can provide one based on UDP, particularly 
for the voice and picture applications (Maybe, we can name it as
"Unreliable Message Transfer Protocol (UMTP)"). Then, mail service can be
done through two separate protocols (one is the current smtp (port 25);
the other is UMTP (port X)). The advantages to do this are:

1) 7-bit smtp does not waste much bandwidth; but the back and forward 
   conversion between 7-bit and 8-bit will waste considerable portion of 
   bandwidth (also take more time).

2) if people do not have real-time needs for transfering 8-bit data,
   they can use FTP (plus a user level script file); if they do have
   timing concern, UDP might be a better choice.

The lower layer protocol should differ when the upper layer applications
differ. It is not a good idea to use same protocol to support mutilple
bodypart anyway. If Multiple applications are really necessary to be
integrated in one protocol, then, we might need a low level protocol 
switch.

Mr. shannon yeh
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