[NNTP] [2503] Allow mode-switching servers?

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Issue: whither MODE READER and mode-switching servers?

We need to decide once and for all what we are going to do with MODE READER
and the idea of completely switching modes in the middle of a session.

Option A: we retain the idea of mode-switching servers. The MODE READER
command is significant on such servers; before it is issued, reader
commands aren't available, while afterwards transit commands might not be
available.

Option B: we forbid mode-switching in NNTPv2, requiring each connection to
decide at the beginning whether it is transit, reader, or general-use; once
the decision is made, it's stuck with it. MODE READER becomes a deprecated
command that does nothing that CAPABILITIES doesn't.

Whichever we pick will require a fair amount of wording to be sorted out,
so I'd like to start ASAP.

In an earlier thread Russ seemed unhappy to make this decision, so who is
going to?

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:    +44 20 8495 6138
Internet Expert     | Home:  <clive at davros.org>  | Fax:    +44 870 051 9937
Demon Internet      | WWW: http://www.davros.org | Mobile: +44 7973 377646
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