RFC 2298 (rfc2298) - Page 1 of 28
An Extensible Message Format for Message Disposition Notifications
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group R. Fajman
Request for Comments: 2298 National Institutes of Health
Category: Standards Track March 1998
An Extensible Message Format
for Message Disposition Notifications
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 (1998). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This memo defines a MIME content-type that may be used by a mail user
agent (UA) or electronic mail gateway to report the disposition of a
message after it has been sucessfully delivered to a recipient. This
content-type is intended to be machine-processable. Additional
message headers are also defined to permit Message Disposition
Notifications (MDNs) to be requested by the sender of a message. The
purpose is to extend Internet Mail to support functionality often
found in other messaging systems, such as X.400 and the proprietary
"LAN-based" systems, and often referred to as "read receipts,"
"acknowledgements," or "receipt notifications." The intention is to
do this while respecting the privacy concerns that have often been
expressed when such functions have been discussed in the past.
Because many messages are sent between the Internet and other
messaging systems (such as X.400 or the proprietary "LAN-based"
systems), the MDN protocol is designed to be useful in a multi-
protocol messaging environment. To this end, the protocol described
in this memo provides for the carriage of "foreign" addresses, in
addition to those normally used in Internet Mail. Additional
attributes may also be defined to support "tunneling" of foreign
notifications through Internet Mail.
Fajman Standards Track