RFC 1082 (rfc1082) - Page 1 of 11
Post Office Protocol: Version 3: Extended service offerings
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group M. Rose
Request for Comments: 1082 TWG
November 1988
Post Office Protocol - Version 3
Extended Service Offerings
Status of This Memo
This memo suggests a simple method for workstations to dynamically
access mail from a discussion group server, as an extension to an
earlier memo which dealt with dynamically accessing mail from a
mailbox server using the Post Office Protocol - Version 3 (POP3).
This RFC specifies a proposed protocol for the Internet community,
and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. All of the
extensions described in this memo to the POP3 are OPTIONAL.
Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Introduction and Motivation
It is assumed that the reader is familiar with RFC 1081 that
discusses the Post Office Protocol - Version 3 (POP3) [RFC 1081].
This memo describes extensions to the POP3 which enhance the service
it offers to clients. This additional service permits a client host
to access discussion group mail, which is often kept in a separate
spool area, using the general POP3 facilities.
The next section describes the evolution of discussion groups and the
technologies currently used to implement them. To summarize:
o An exploder is used to map from a single address to
a list of addresses which subscribe to the list, and redirects
any subsequent error reports associated with the delivery of
each message. This has two primary advantages:
- Subscribers need know only a single address
- Responsible parties get the error reports and not
the subscribers
Rose