SAFEnet standards

[bochaco]

In order to be able to send an email with the sample email app, an email protocol is implicitly defined and implemented by the app. Very briefly, this protocol specifies that to send an email an ImmutableData (containing the email’s content) shall be encrypted with the recipient’s public encryption key, and appended to the recipient’s AppendableData.

If we want to be able to develop different email apps, which are all compatible, we’ll need a standard protocol for sending emails. This also applies for any other type of communications applications.

I think we could reuse some of the standards available in the clear net (as defined by the IETF) and just adapt them, but perhaps there are cases that a new standard would be more appropriate. As an example, for emails we could just store the MIME blob in the ImmutableData payload and that’d be it.

How are the standards going to be managed/administered in the SAFEnet?
Is MaidSafe going to/willing to take the responsibility of coordinating and agreeing on standards to be used for different type of communication applications (e.g. email, voice/video channels, messaging, etc.) ?
Do we as a community want to otherwise take this role? if so, shouldn’t we start trying to define some of these standards, perhaps the one for emails?

[dirvine]

@bochaco

Do we as a community want to otherwise take this role? if so, shouldn’t we start trying to define some of these standards, perhaps the one for emails?

I think this makes a lot of sense and where there are standards in place we need a strong reason not to use them.

[bochaco]

Yes, I agree, that should save us a lot of time and effort.

So do you think we are already in a good position to define and document the email protocol basing it on the current implementation of the email app plus MIME?
Or we would probably need to wait a bit longer before starting this type of activities/discussions?

[dirvine]

@bochaco

So do you think we are already in a good position to define and document the email protocol basing it on the current implementation of the email app plus MIME?
Or we would probably need to wait a bit longer before starting this type of activities/discussions?

I think the API may change in terms of Rest but we should be in good shape to start the process. I cannot see us going much past January with the current manic changes and trials through Alpha. I don’t mean Beta by Jan I just mean I feel we have our direction properly mapped now and while there will be the Rest/module change I would hope much of what’s there will settle.

So a few more weeks perhaps, but there would not be much to be changed in terms of starting the “interior” standards such as mail etc.