per ben bucksch in 56291... benc, can you file a new bug (and cc me) about the "normal" news proxying, to which you object? We could later mark it WONTFIX, but I'd like to see this evaluated - I didn't think thought it, but it doesn't seem like a bad idea to me. (I don't like connection-, but application-oriented proxies.) --- My personal feeling is that we need circuit-level proxy support (i.e, SSL Tunneling and SOCKS) support for mail-protocols (SMTP, IMAP, POP). I have reservations against implementing application-level support for mail protocols: 1- I have no idea what specification would guide us here. (I could be wrong here, so I'm going to research this more...) 2- Unlike a web or ftp network requirement (which is one to many), you point to a specific server. If network admins want a specific sub-set of the network to be firewalled, they know it's their job to set up a local SMTP host and IMAP/POP proxy to extend the service cloud into the firewalled area. It would be better to implement MX support for outbound SMTP. 3- No real audience: I can't think of any sensible customer that asked me this when I worked for Netscape Server Technical Support. (If I'm wrong here, let me know). 4- Implementation likely to have bad ROI. SOCKS and SSL Tunnel should be done first, because it is missing RFC and defacto standard implementations. I've moved all my non-IM bugzilla work to a non-netscape account, so I can separate "work" from legitimate open contributions. In that light, I'm stridently pushing for Mozilla to implement and re-enforce existing Proxy technologies and standards. If someone wants to start creating "new law" in the Proxy land, they are going to need a proxy code on the server side to make it work. Only a proxy server vendor (like iPlanet) could suggest this, and they would need a working prototype of the server to go with it.

adding john

There are no standards in this area. It should be closed WONTFIX.

I've always hated that joke that people use when they do really bad things over networks and they say: "The best part about standards is that there are so many to choose from." Let's not encourage someone to write a standard for something that is pretty useless. RESOLVED/INVALID

linking to meta bug on proxy support for mailnews module.

-> mailnews: networking (since proxy bugs in (Necko) Networking go to the generic-named component.