[Cz-computers] article about email system nominated for approval

[David MacQuigg]

Hi Eric,

I think we have a question of appearance vs practicality.  A drawn 
figure (as in Figure 1) might look nicer to some, but then we don't have 
a convenient shorthand.  The shorthand notation is important when you 
are having an email discussion, or even face-to-face with a pad and 
pencil.  There is no time to even fire up Visio, let alone tweak 
everything to look good.  It is this notation that we want the reader to 
understand.  The notation is just as important as the actual content of 
the sketches.

If we make these shorthand sketches into drawings, I would like to 
preserve the characters, just as they would be typed.  Maybe an 
alternative to drawings would be using an equation editor, or perhaps 
just some HTML to change the font for those few lines.  I would like to 
get rid of the white box and dashed border, and have the "equation" 
appear as it would in a textbook.

Eric, if you have some time to contribute, I would like to get your 
comments on the terminology in the companion article "Email protocols 
and processes".  If you remember, this is where we put your table of 
definitions.  I've done a bit of reading, trying to track down formal 
definitions of terms like MTA and MDA.  It isn't easy.  The best I found 
was in RFC-5321.  However, section 2.3.3 cautions that these terms are 
used too often with the appearance of great precision, but that in 
reality "the implied boundaries between MUAs and MTAs often do not match 
common, and conforming, practices with Internet mail."

Where should we put the MDA process in Figure 2, just before the MUA, or 
one hop ahead of that?

-- Dave

************************************************************     *
* David MacQuigg, PhD    email: macquigg at ece.arizona.edu   *  *
* Research Associate                phone: USA 520-721-4583   *  *  *
* ECE Department, University of Arizona                       *  *  *
*                                 9320 East Mikelyn Lane       * * *
* http://purl.net/macquigg        Tucson, Arizona 85710          *
************************************************************     *



Eric Gearhart wrote:
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >From: Joe Quick <joerquick at gmail.com <mailto:joerquick at gmail.com>>
> >To: cz-computers at mail.citizendium.org 
> <mailto:cz-computers at mail.citizendium.org>
> >Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:43:10 -0500
> >Subject: [Cz-computers] article about email system nominated for approval
> >Hello (computers people out there in the) world,
> >The Citizendium article about the email system 
> (http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Email_system) is scheduled for 
> approval on October 3rd.  I thought I'd better make use of the system 
> to let >you know. 
>
>
> The only suggestion I have would be to get rid of all the "ASCII art" 
> - convert those diagrams that are "drawn" with slashes and equal signs 
> over to a real image.
>
> I can do this today after work (about 6 hours from now) and upload the 
> images, if no one objects. It shouldn't affect the nomination process 
> - the content of the article is not changing, it's just being made 
> more professional looking
>
> Eric
>
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