RFC 3834 (rfc3834) - Page 1 of 22

Recommendations for Automatic Responses to Electronic Mail

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Network Working Group                                           K. Moore
Request for Comments: 3834                       University of Tennessee
Category: Standards Track                                    August 2004


       Recommendations for Automatic Responses to Electronic Mail

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2004).

Abstract

   This memo makes recommendations for software that automatically
   responds to incoming electronic mail messages, including "out of the
   office" or "vacation" response generators, mail filtering software,
   email-based information services, and other automatic responders.
   The purpose of these recommendations is to discourage undesirable
   behavior which is caused or aggravated by such software, to encourage
   uniform behavior (where appropriate) among automatic mail responders,
   and to clear up some sources of confusion among implementors of
   automatic email responders.

1.  Introduction

   Many programs which automatically respond to email are currently in
   use.  Although these programs vary widely in their function, several
   problems with this class of programs have been observed, including:
   significant numbers of useless or unwanted response and responses
   sent to inappropriate addresses, and occasional incidences of mail
   loops or "sorcerer's apprentice" mode.  This memo recommends behavior
   for programs that automatically respond to electronic mail in order
   to reduce the number of problems caused by such programs.

   (Note: the term "sorcerer's apprentice mode" is defined as a bug in a
   protocol where, under some circumstances, the receipt of a message
   causes multiple messages to be sent, each of which, when received,
   triggers the same bug.) (From [I1.JARGON])





Moore                       Standards Track
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