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The problem with RFC2822 (as with all specifications) is that it failed to correctly predict this future (and ideally all other possible futures).
by partomniscient 12y ago
The problem with RFC2822 (as with all specifications) is that it failed to correctly predict this future (and ideally all other possible futures).
- zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC 12y agoThe good thing about RFC822 (and by extension RFC2822) is that it is extremely flexible instead of trying to predict the future and in the process creating an unimplementable monster of mispredictions (cf. OSI networking stack). Even though the stack of email RFCs contains quite some cruft due to historic accidents, it's actually not as bad as you might think when looking at all the terrible mail software out there that seems to be written by people who don't even bother to read the RFCs (which seems to include google, after all).
- partomniscient 12y agoI was being somewhat facetious, but you're correct. It's a balancing act of so many factors, many of which are beyond the originators control or realisation. Quite a while ago I considered trying to write an IMAP library for a language I used - after some brief research I concluded: that way lies madness.