Subject: [secdir] sec-dir review of draft-ietf-eai-frmwrk-4952bis-08.txt

From: Derek Atkins <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:54:44 -0400

Hi,

I have reviewed this document as part of the security directorate's 
ongoing effort to review all IETF documents being processed by the 
IESG.  These comments were written primarily for the benefit of the 
security area directors.  Document editors and WG chairs should treat 
these comments just like any other last call comments.

   Full use of electronic mail throughout the world requires that
   (subject to other constraints) people be able to use close variations
   on their own names (written correctly in their own languages and
   scripts) as mailbox names in email addresses.  This document
   introduces a series of specifications that define mechanisms and
   protocol extensions needed to fully support internationalized email
   addresses.  These changes include an SMTP extension and extension of
   email header syntax to accommodate UTF-8 data.  The document set also
   includes discussion of key assumptions and issues in deploying fully
   internationalized email.  This document is an update of RFC 4952; it
   reflects additional issues identified since that document was
   published.

Opening up the internationalized email address can of worms is just
that, a can of worms.  But this document seems to understand that the
topic is a can of worms and tries hard to point out many of the worms
in the can.

I believe this document does as much as it can to caution people about
all the open issues involved in internationalizing email addresses.

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins                 617-623-3745
       [email-masked]             www.ihtfp.com
       Computer and Internet Security Consultant

---

From: John C Klensin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:03:15 -0400

--On Thursday, September 23, 2010 12:54 -0400 Derek Atkins
<[email-masked]> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I have reviewed this document as part of the security
> directorate's  ongoing effort to review all IETF documents
> being processed by the  IESG.  These comments were written
> primarily for the benefit of the  security area directors.
> Document editors and WG chairs should treat  these comments
> just like any other last call comments.
>...
> Opening up the internationalized email address can of worms is
> just that, a can of worms.  But this document seems to
> understand that the topic is a can of worms and tries hard to
> point out many of the worms in the can.
> 
> I believe this document does as much as it can to caution
> people about all the open issues involved in
> internationalizing email addresses.

Derek,

Thanks.  And, indeed, WGs doing serious internationalization
work rapidly become experts in worm taxonomy.  What we worry
about, and some, including IDNABIS, encounter, is the discovery
that, when one opens the can, it is full of poisonous vipers,
not merely worms.  :-(

    john