Re: Apology: Test your knowledge of Internet application layer

["David W. Morris" <dwm at xpasc.com>]

On Wed, 5 Aug 1998, Robert Elz wrote:

>     Date:        Tue, 4 Aug 1998 20:46:59 +0200
>     From:        Jacob Palme <jpalme at dsv.su.se>
>     Message-ID:  <v04003a00b1eb06b46749 at [130.237.150.138]>
> 
>   | I hope the draft above will soon be accepted by the IESG as
>   | a proposed standard. 
> 
> I certainly hope it does not.  E-mail (like regular mail) is the property of
> the recipient (intellectual property rights aside).  Once you have sent it,
> you have absolutely no right to attempt to destroy it -- that you have to do
> before you decide to send the message.   What you are asking for is equivalent
> to the right to forcibly retrieve a paper letter you have sent me, which
> no-one would agree to.   Usenet is more like a public bulletin board, where
> it is perfectly normal for people to take down their messages when they
> cease to be relevant.

Not commenting on the specifics of the draft but rather the general 
principals ...
1. I see no practical distinction between list server mail and usenet
   news groups ... these are alternative implementations of bulletin  
   boards. A withdrawal mechanism for list server mail would be fine.
2. The last I heard, the US Postal service has a process by which mailed
   but not delivered mail can be retrieved. In any case, I see no reason
   why you couldn't cancel mail sent to me which had not been presented
   to me. If I haven't seen the mail in any form, having it deleted 
   would probably not be an issue ... certainly not an issue if NOONE
   had seen the mail. No differnt than writing physical mail, sticking it
   in the mail box outside the front door for pickup and then retrieving
   it before the mail carrier shows up.

Dave Morris