Xref: utzoo comp.misc:3110 comp.std.misc:33 comp.mail.misc:1165 comp.mail.uucp:1637
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!cornell!rochester!ritcv!cci632!chiron!jon
From: jon@chiron.UUCP (Jon L. Griffeth)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.std.misc,comp.mail.misc,comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: Standardizing Email?
Keywords: Wouldn't it be nice
Message-ID: <145@chiron.UUCP>
Date: 16 Aug 88 02:25:22 GMT
References: <788@vsi.UUCP>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Fairport, NY
Lines: 49



As I begin, I would like to state that I am neither an expert, nor
VERY well read on this subject.  The following is the result of the
short period (short for what this subject requires) I spent delving
into this subject.

First, RFC 821 and 822 are industry standards.  X.400 is an international
standard being produced by CCITT and ISO.

The technical specifications can be obtained from OmniCom Publications (???).
I don't currently have the address, but I may be able to locate it quickly
enough.  They're somewhere in Virginia.

X.400 is actually a series of recommendations made by CCITT concerning
the format of electronic messages and their subsequent transmission.
It references numerous other recommendations and relies heavily
on the Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ANS.1).  If anyone can tell how
to obtain information on ANS.1, I'd be greatful.  I seem to have missed
it in my search.

A (possibly incomplete) list of recommendations for X.400 include:

	X.400, X.402, X.403, X.407, X.408, X.411, X.413, X.419,
	X.420 etc. etc. etc..

In addition, you'll need recommendations X.208, X.217, X.218, X.219 and
probably a host of others.  I didn't have that much time to spend on
it and eventual gave up (for now).

The 1984 release is called the "Red Book".  The 1988 release, called the
"Blue Book," is not currently available (or wasn't the last time I heard,
which was about two months ago).  You shouldn't expect to see it until
sometime next year.  A draft version is out, but only to selected groups.

The "Blue Book" is MUCH more extensive than the "Red Book".  Also, the
authors seem to have taken a perverse pleasure in making it as unreadable
as possible (in my opinion).

I had a lot of hope for X.400.  However, after hearing some comments 
("X.400 is the SNA of electronic mail"), I'm no longer sure.

Jon L. Griffeth
jon@chiron.UUCP

P.S.  If anyone can direct me towards a GOOD book on OSI, I would
again be greatful.  OSI is the basis for an international networking
standard.  Anyone wanting to learn about X.400 should learn this as
well.