Slashdot Mirror
Replacing SMTP?
dousette asks: "In reading over one of the RFC's governing the SMTP protocol, and other RFC's as well, it's interesting to note that you see some big names and big companies from time to time. With all the loopholes in the current SMTP specification, is it possible for the Slashdot collective to come up with another one? Would it stand a chance in making it into a standard, or do they just listen to Cisco, AT&T, etc? I realize that a lot of people have a lot of ideas how things should be done (and they haven't been shy about posting them to Slashdot), but has anyone tried to write the RFC for a replacement protocol? As a side note (where I won't be shy about posting how things should be done), if there were a replacement trusted protocol, one could have mail received via that protocol bypass spam filtering, id checking, or whatever checks might be in place (saving processor cycles, etc). The regular checks could still be done on other mail received via the 'older' SMTP protocol. If more and more ISP's make use of this, SMTP could be gradually phased out... or if you are one for a sudden cut-over, just cut to the new one at the same time as the IPv6 upgrade!"
"is it possible for the Slashdot collective to come up with another one?"
SlashDot Transfer Protocol - Essentially, the way it works, is the information is posted on one single, easily crashed server. Then, this information is linked to by Slashdot. Then, said server is taken down. However, 1,000 other posters will have mirrored it by then, therby helping in the "transfer" of the information.
Jason Lotito
Like IPv6? You mean most things will already be there but no one will support it, no one will care apart from a few and no one will implement regardless of how hopeless and disastrous the current implementation is?
Ah yes, like IPv6 indeed. You know, I'll send a shiny mail delivered by SMTP2* over an IPv6* internet about the release of Duke Nukem Forever* to my gaming-addicted girlfriend* on the day SCO coughs up some evidence*
Note:
* = May or may not require divine intervention.
Hate me!