Network Working Group                                         D. Crocker
Internet-Draft                               Brandenburg InternetWorking
Intended status: Informational                        September 14, 2020
Expires: March 18, 2021


            React: Indicating Summary Reaction to a Message
                     draft-crocker-inreply-react-00

Abstract

   The popularity of social media has led to user comfort with easily
   signaling basic reactions to an author's posting, such as with a
   'thumbs up' or 'smiley' graphic indication.  This specification
   permits a similar facility for Internet Mail.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on March 18, 2021.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  In-Reply-React  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Usability Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Possible Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The popularity of social media has led to user comfort with easily
   signaling summary reactions to an author's posting, by marking basic
   emoji graphics, such as with a 'thumbs up', 'heart', or 'smiley'
   indication.  Sometimes the permitted repertoire is constrained to a
   small set and sometimes a more extensive range of indicators is
   supported.

   This specification defines a similar facility for Internet Mail.

   While it is already possible to include symbols and graphics as part
   of an email reply's content, there has not been an established means
   of signalling the semantic substance that such data are to be taken
   as a summary 'reaction' to the original message.  That is, a
   mechanism to identify symbols as specifically providing a summary
   reaction to the cited message, rather than merely being part of the
   free text in the body of a response.  Such a structured use of the
   symbol(s) allows recipient MUAs to correlate this reaction to the
   original message and possibly to display the information
   distinctively.

   This facility defines a header field, to be used in junction with the
   In-Reply-To header field, to link one or more emojis as a summary
   reaction to a previous message.

   Unless provided here, terminology, architecture and specification
   used in this document are incorporated from [Mail-Arch], [Mail-Fmt]
   and [ABNF].

   Discussion of this specification should take place on the ietf-
   822@ietf.org mailing list.






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2.  In-Reply-React

   A message sent as a reply MAY indicate the responder's summary
   reaction to the original message by including an In-Reply-React
   header field:



   The [ABNF] for the header field is:

   in-reply-react = "In-Reply-React:" emoji *(lwsp emoji) CRLF

   emoji = {character from Unicode Emoji List}

   An emoji character is taken from [Emoji-List].

   The emoji(s) express a recipient's summary reaction to the specific
   message referenced by the accompanying In-Reply-To header field.
   [Mail-Fmt].

   For recipient MUAs that do not support this mechanism, the header
   field might not be displayed to the recipient.  To ensure that the
   reaction is presented to the recipient, the the responding MUA MAY
   automatically include a second copy of the header field in the
   message body.  This might be as the first line of the body or as the
   first mime-part.  [MIME] By making the text be the full header field,
   it also allows MUAs that do support the mechanism to identify this
   redundant information and possibly remove it from display.

3.  Usability Considerations

   This specification defines a mechanism for the structuring and
   carriage of information.  It does not define any user-level details
   of use.  However the design of the user-level mechanisms associated
   with this facility is paramount.  This section discusses some issues
   to consider .

   Creation:   Because an email environment is different from a typical
      social media platform, there are some choices needed in the design
      of the user interface to support indication of a reaction.  Is the
      reaction to be sent only to the original author, or should it be
      sent to all recipients?  Should the reaction always be sent in a
      discrete message containing only the reaction, or should the user
      also be able to include other message content?  (Note that this
      specification permits the inclusion of this other content.)






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   Display:  Reaction indications are likely to be most useful when
      displayed in close visual proximity to the original message,
      rather than merely as part of an email response thread.

4.  Possible Issues

   o  Should the specification permit only one emoji?  Why (not)?

5.  Security Considerations

   This specification defines a distinct location for specialized
   message content.  Processing that handles the content differently
   from content in the message body might introduce vulnerabilities.
   However the mere definition or use of this mechanism does not create
   new vulnerabilities.

6.  IANA Considerations

   None.

7.  References

7.1.  Normative References

   [ABNF]     Crocker, D. and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
              Specifications: ABNF", RFC 5234, January 2008.

   [Emoji-List]
              Unicode Consortium, "Full Emoji List, v13.0", WEB
              https://unicode.org/emoji/charts/full-emoji-list.html.

   [Mail-Arch]
              Crocker, D., "Internet Mail Architecture", RFC 5598, July
              2009.

   [Mail-Fmt]
              Resnick, P., Ed., "Internet Message Format", RFC 5322,
              October 2008.

7.2.  Informative References

   [MIME]     Freed, N. and N. Borenstein, "Multipurpose Internet Mail
              Extensions (MIME) Part One: Format of Internet Message
              Bodies", RFC 2045, November 1996.







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Author's Address

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking

   Email: dcrocker@bbiw.net













































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