RE: SMTP return receipts

["Andy Nolen-Parkhouse" <aparkhouse@xxxxxxxxx>]

Jeff,

A few years ago I had similar queries from some users of a Domino
server.  They found that some mail recipients were issuing return
receipts while others were not.  I spent some time with the RFC's for
the SMTP protocol and found that there is no official standard for
return receipts.  There is an informal standard but the actual
recommendation in the RFC's was that return receipts were to be avoided.
A server can be fully SMTP compliant and not deal with return receipts.
This was probably based on the somewhat independent nature of the
internet when these protocols were developed.  A sender would have no
right to know whether an email had been opened.

Regardless of the above, it strikes me that your Messenger client is
checking the AS/400, determining in some fashion that the AS/400 SMTP
server doesn't deal with return receipts, and then issuing the message
you describe.  This strikes me as absurd.  The sending server really has
nothing to do with return receipts.  You client will insert the
following lines into the header of your Email message (these are derived
from an Outlook message):

Return-Receipt-To: "Andy Nolen-Parkhouse" aparkhouse@attbi.com
Disposition-Notification-To: "Andy Nolen-Parkhouse" aparkhouse@attbi.com

The first is for receipt on the server, the second is for being notified
when the message is opened.  The fact that the AS/400 does not support
these does not strike me as relevant.  The client will insert the text
into the header, the receiving server will generate (or not) an
appropriate email message and send it to your AS/400, which will happily
receive it.

This strikes me as a flaw in Netscape Messenger.  One without a
resolution.

Regards,
Andy Nolen-Parkhouse



> On Behalf Of Jeff Crosby
> Subject: Re: SMTP return receipts
>
> Andy Nolen-Parkhouse wrote:
>
> > I find this strange.  The return receipt request will be formatted
into
> > the header of your email message by your email client.  It will be
> > processed by the SMTP server of the recipient, not on your AS/400.
I
> > don't think you have a setup problem.  What email client are you
using?
>
> Netscape Messenger.
>
> --
> Jeff Crosby