[NNTP] Capability modifiers

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Russ Allbery said:
> As noted by others, I think the VERSION line offers sufficient
> extensibility in the general case, and for this in particular it seems
> like one could safely introduce modifiers later by stating that servers
> MUST NOT send lines beginning with characters not allowed in capabilities
> and clients MUST ignore any such lines if present.  That would allow
> modifiers to be added as a separate experimental provision and adopted if
> they prove useful in practice.

Okay.

> I would not replace -MODE-READER with anything; I would require readers to
> issue a MODE READER command if they want to use READER facilities, those
> facilities are not advertised, and MODE-READER is.

I suppose that can be derived from the wording about MODE READER.

>> * Is the -- modifier useful as a documentation technique?
> I find -- to be the most useful of the lot, as it's a way of clearly
> indicating "posting will never be permitted" that's better than the 201
> greeting code.  But that isn't sufficiently interesting to have the
> modifier be worth it for me.

We could still add a "no longer available" flag in any case.

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather  | Work:  <clive at demon.net>   | Tel:    +44 20 8495 6138
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