From: Matt Curtin (cmcurtin@interhack.net)
Date: Wed Oct 04 2000 - 17:13:19 CDT
>>>>> "Jonathan" == Jonathan Grobe <grobe@netins.net> writes:
Jonathan> No, I see no value in a separate document. Exactly what
Jonathan> benefits do you see Matt?
The primary issue from my perspective is that when USEFOR was
chartered, it was given a list of things to do. That list of things
started with issuing a core document that defines the format of usenet
articles, a grandson of RFC 1036. Other issues like new functionality
were not to be addressed until later.
I discussed the matter with the chair, who specifically said that we
should hold off on PAM until USEFOR is finished. So I'm trying to
play my part in keeping this from being the largest document never
produced. Do we ever want to produce an RFC? We've been at it for
four years now...
The benefit of having a separate document is that the specific
functionality defined in PAM, in both its news and mail elements, can
be defined in a neutral document, one that both news and mail agents
implementors will want to reference. PAM is intended as a proposed
standard, or at least best current practice, document. It seems to me
that if we're creating a document that defines a standard that affects
more than news, we can't just tack it on to the news standard.
-- Matt Curtin, Founder Interhack Corporation http://www.interhack.net/ "Building the Internet, Securely." research | development | consulting