[JDEV] Info

[Donovan Schulteis]

I have been (half-)watching this list for a while, I don't have the time
right now to help much, but am very interested.  But during this time that I
have been reading, here's my take on the whole SMTP/IMessaging thing.

I don't agree that the Jabber client should have email and SMTP integrated
into it, but being able to open an existing email app would be good.  The
main purpose of Jabber would be instant messaging, and email capabilities
are only fluff, that, if implemented, should remain some sort of separate
entity.

The Jabber client should act as follows (IMOHO):

Send and receive messages for particular systems (i.e., AIM, ICQ, etc).
If the intended recipient is not available (not connected to his/her Jabber
server), then the Jabber client should ask if the sender wishes to send the
message as email, or place on que (a la, ICQ).  This preserves an ack/deny
simplicity in the client.

When sending as email, the message still goes to the Jabber server, and the
Jabber server sends the message to the receiving Jabber server (the
recipient's server, which has already told the sending Jabber server that
the recipient is not connected).  There must be a sort of a tag in the
header of the message stating send as email.  The receiving Jabber server
then sends the message text as email via it's own SMTP engine to the
registered email address of the recipient (similar to a .forward account),
thus removing SMTP from the client.

This is, of course, taking a few assumptions on my part that may be
incorrect as to the use of the Jabber servers.  It also assumes that users
would have a permanent email account (they are on the internet, right?), and
that the different protocols for messaging could be verified that it is
possible to que messages.  Also, that each user would be registered on one
individual server, regardless of Point of Entry to the net.  But, I think it
is a feasible way of handling messaging and email.  I hope my comments might
be of some help.  Anyways, thanks for reading.

Donovan