Internet Mail Extensions (smtpext)

Charter

Chair(s):
     Gregory Vaudreuil, gvaudre@nri.reston.va.us

Mailing Lists:
     General Discussion:  ietf-smtp@dimacs.rutgers.edu
     To Subscribe:  ietf-smtp-request@dimacs.rutgers.edu
     Archive:  ~ftp/pub/ietf-smtp-archive

Description of Working Group:

     The SMTP extensions Working Group is chartered to develop
     extensions to the base SMTP protocol (RFC821) to facilitate the
     more efficient transmission of 8 bit text and binary data.
     Among the extensions to be considered to SMTP are the
     elimination of the ASCII text character restriction and line
     length restriction to allow the sending of arbitrary 8 bit
     character sets, and the definition of mechanisms to facilitate
     binary transmission, and extensions to the negotiation sequence
     to facilitate batch transmission.

Goals and Milestones:

Done       Review the Charter of the group.  Determine if changes to
           SMTP are necessary.  Discuss the needs for backward
           compatability, and interoperabiliy.  This discussion will be
           held by email.

Aug 1991   Discuss the elimination of the 7 bit restrictions in SMTP,
           and the implications of removing this restriction in terms of
           interoperation.

Aug 1991   Discuss the issues involved with binary transmission.
           Determine whether a ``binary'' mode should be pursued, and
           whether the SMTP line length restriction should be
           eliminated.

Dec 1991   Write a document specifying the changes to SMTP agreed to by
           the group.  Post as an Internet Draft.

Mar 1992   Review and finalize the SMTP Extensions document.

Mar 1992   Submit the SMTP Extensions document as a proposed standard.



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