[REBOL] MS, non-MS, and "email" as we know it
From: REBOLlist2:juicybits at: 11-Jul-2003 18:59
Email as we know it will evolve, but will it really be called something else? What will
it be called? I think it depends on what app(s) get the critical mass. Maybe it will
just be called spam-free email?
A lot of people will automatically reject a Microsoft solution, and will even deny it
after it has achieved critical mass and major market share. Am I the only one here who
thinks their 2003 Outlook is going to be a major spam killer? What could be more secure
than to only accept email from senders who are in your contact database? For me, adding
someone (or the From address of a mailing list) to my contact db will be a small price
to pay, to *completely* eliminate spam.
The only major question left might be, what will be the easiest ways to add new, friendly
and business contacts to our contact database. At worst, it might require a web-based
authentication system, eg a human sender might have to enter a machine-non-readable password
in order to get into your contact db, the first time around. Instead of giving someone
your email address, you could give them an url where they can authenticate themselves,
and/or maybe the web server will forward an authenticated email to you so you can quickly
add the the sender's address to your contact db. I can think of other ways to authenticate
new senders, but it's not so important that a standard exists at this level. (Eg, even
without a web server, all your email app would have to do would be to automatically respond
to non-authorized senders with a "please authenticate yourself with this human-only readable
password".) Black lists or filters won't even be necessary, in a completely white-list
(plus first-time authentication) system.
Meanwhile, even for people who will never use MS software, or who have their own business
agenda reason why they automatically reject them, it seems to me like MS's solution will
still become the first, viable standard, and needs to be paid attention to. Show me how
I'm wrong about this. I am *not* pro-MS. However, for those of us (esp myself) who have
been thinking about other solutions, we still won't be able to deny MS their huge power
any time in the near future. I think now is the time to be the first ones to jump on
the first viable anti-spam bandwagon... or be left behind.
Yes, a major evolution in email authentication and delivery *is* imminent.
--Ken.
____________________________ ____________________________
Ah, you hate Microsoft too! So comrade, ven do vee plan to defect?
