Keith Moore wrote: > > Keith Moore wrote: > > > > > actually returning multiple results doesn't work very well for > > > either email addresses or domains. > > > > Please note that email systems today already return mutiple results: > > > > 1 - failed delivery, host unknown > > 2 - failed delivery, recipient does not like sender > > 3 - failed delivery, quota exceeded > > 4- delayed delivery > > 5- "out of office" bot reply > > 6 - "out of the company" bot reply > > ... > > > > without actually connecting anyone. So, would having multiple results, > > that may allow you to get connected, be a definite advantage over > > the current situation? > > you're missing the point. having meaningful error messages can be > useful, of course. but expecting meaningful error messages to > solve the problems associated with ambiguous names/addresses is > naive. > > (note that the same problems are starting to exist at layer 3 due > to the introduction of ambiguous addresses at the IP layer - > and they're causing problems there also.) > Keith, And there will be more. Maybe it will take people still a while to realize that the problem is the current mindset, that posits a decidability that simply cannot coexist with completness. You need to choose -- which one do you want to have? You cannot have both from the same system. And, yes, of course I'd expect meaningful error messages to provide an automatic solution as much as possible, and as much as I desire. Cheers, Ed Gerck