I would like to pose this question to this list - it seems that
the more knowledgable people reside here. I may later open this
up to other lists.
 
I have recently had to write a DEADMAIL program to automatically
return bad mail to invalid users. (don't ask). Anyway, I have
been noticing a problem in the use of the SENDER fields. There
are many lists that are set up as monitored lists whereas the
final piece of mail sent out to the list has the From field
specifying the originator, the Sender field specifies the list
and the ReplyTo field specifies the list. My first comment is that
should not the Sender field be the list moderator, or even someone
in charge of the list if not moderated so that Mail agents would
report problems back to the Sender field if the Mail Agent follows
RFC822 specs. In any case, I have sent out messages in which the
Sender field was the list and I received the undeliverable notices.
Why the Mail Agents are not returning the undeliverable mail to the
Sender field according to 822 is yet another problem as well.
Nontheless, I follow RFC822 and everyone bitches at me for distributing
"undeliverable" mail back to lists.
I would appreciate comment on this - as to whether I am correct in all
that I have said, and whether or not it would be possible to at least
have lists set up correctly for when and if RFC822 is implemented
correctly in various Mail Agents.
 
            - Michael Gettes, Boston University