ietf-nntp DRAFT summary of IETF 49

[Stan O. Barber]

Russ Allbery wrote:
> 
> Stan O Barber <sob at verio.net> writes:
> 
> > At this meeting of the working group, the main draft,
> > draft-ietf-nntpext-base-11.txt, was the only draft discussed in
> > detail. Most of the discussion was centered on relatively small changes
> > to the document. The most significant changes were to remove PAT from
> > the base document and to replace it with HDR.
> 
> I'm not sure if you're saying that this topic was discussed, or if it was
> decided finally at the meeting that this is what should be done.  Could
> you clarify?  Are we decided to remove PAT and add HDR?

It was decided to remove PAT. It was decided to consider adding HDR if it not
create the same type of problem with wildmat that PAT created. Personally, I am
concerned that adding HDR will just recreate the same problem that PAT does with
respect to wildmat's usage on items that are not newsgroup names.

> 
> > MODE READER was discussed, but no one in the group felt that its use
> > should be required.  A reader can choose to use it or not.
> 
> Er... okay.  I guess.  That doesn't make very much sense to me.  "This
> command is entirely optional, but if you don't send it you may not be able
> to read news"?

I guess it was not clear. All servers that support news reading should not
require MODE READER in order to allow folks to read news. All servers that don't
support news reading should generate appropriate error codes (502, typically) to
indicate that they will not process news reading commands. MODE READER may be
used by a client to cause the server to "change" to news reader mode if it does
not start up that way automatically, however MODE READER should not be required
to get the server to "change".... the usage of a news reading command should
also cause the server to "change"....