Subject: rfc2821.Sender usage (was Re: [ietf-dkim] Collection of use cases for SSP requirements)

From: Dave Crocker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 12:34:45 -0800

Arvel Hathcock wrote:
>  > Is the content of the Sender header commonly used
>  > by the end-user, or even visible to them?
> 
> I know that Microsoft Outlook (an important and significantly deployed 
> mail client) displays the Sender header if one is present.

Please notice the difference between "used" and "visible".

I think it goes to the core of some common misunderstandings in these 
discussions.  Obviously it is perfectly reasonable to ask whether a particular 
piece of information is actually visible to the end user.

But we also then need to ask whether the end user derives any benefit from that 
display.

Among human factors (usability) folk, the common view is that typical end users 
have an extremely limited cognitive model of how an application works.  Add to 
that the inherent subtlety of distinguishing .sender from .from -- especially in 
real-time when viewing a message -- and we all ought to be particularly cautious 
about expecting a focus on .sender as being import to the human side of phishing 
or other abuse issues.

(Importance for automated filtering and other assessment software is an entirely 
different matter.)

d/

-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net
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