Re: [cobalt-users] MX record question / Raq4i

[flash22@xxxxxxx]

On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, BT wrote:

> 
> > > so what's wrong with three A records for mail. ftp. www. and one MX for
> > > mail.???
> > 
> > Nothing, provided all your mail is addressed to user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and
> > you don't get anything addressed to user@xxxxxxxxxx ;P
> 
> why, because the latter works...

"It works" is not the same as "It's correct" , clients are *required* to
be as forgiving as possible about errors and anomolies, and many things
that are in fact broken will also in fact work...This doesn't mean it
should not be done properly just because ;P

I can drive around with no air in my tires, it works, doesn't mean it's a
good idea or that it won't eventually cause some other problem...

The only reason mail works to 'domain.com' with no MX is because 2 decades
ago there weren't any MX records, it was assumed that people would
eventually get around to installing proper nameserver records as
specified, and the fallback behaviour was intended only to accomodate
machines that did not yet have the new MX records, i think after this
length of time it's somewhat expected that you will have migrated to the
new format ;P

Fwiw, also, there is a growing trend to refuse mail *from* machines that
do not themselves have proper MX records, the given reason is usually
that the machine is probably in fact dome dialup that has no business
sending mail directly to a server, but i hear admins mumble about mail
servers run by the clueless also ;P

gsh