Netnews Article Format
RFC 5536

Network Working Group                                  K. Murchison, Ed.
Request for Comments: 5536                    Carnegie Mellon University
Obsoletes: 1036                                               C. Lindsey
Category: Standards Track                       University of Manchester
                                                                 D. Kohn
                                                      Healing Thresholds
                                                           November 2009

                         Netnews Article Format

Abstract

   This document specifies the syntax of Netnews articles in the context
   of the Internet Message Format (RFC 5322) and Multipurpose Internet
   Mail Extensions (MIME) (RFC 2045).  This document obsoletes RFC 1036,
   providing an updated specification to reflect current practice and
   incorporating incremental changes specified in other documents.

Status of This Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2009 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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   described in the BSD License.

   This document may contain material from IETF Documents or IETF
   Contributions published or made publicly available before November
   10, 2008.  The person(s) controlling the copyright in some of this
   material may not have granted the IETF Trust the right to allow
   modifications of such material outside the IETF Standards Process.
   Without obtaining an adequate license from the person(s) controlling

Murchison, et al.           Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 5536                 Netnews Article Format            November 2009

   the copyright in such materials, this document may not be modified
   outside the IETF Standards Process, and derivative works of it may
   not be created outside the IETF Standards Process, except to format
   it for publication as an RFC or to translate it into languages other
   than English.

Murchison, et al.           Standards Track                     [Page 2]
RFC 5536                 Netnews Article Format            November 2009

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ....................................................4
      1.1. Basic Concepts .............................................4
      1.2. Scope ......................................................4
      1.3. Requirements Notation ......................................4
      1.4. Syntax Notation ............................................5
      1.5. Definitions ................................................5
      1.6. Structure of This Document .................................7
   2. Format ..........................................................7
      2.1. Base .......................................................7
      2.2. Header Fields ..............................................8
      2.3. MIME Conformance ...........................................9
   3. News Header Fields ..............................................9
      3.1. Mandatory Header Fields ...................................10
           3.1.1. Date ...............................................11
           3.1.2. From ...............................................11
           3.1.3. Message-ID .........................................11
           3.1.4. Newsgroups .........................................13
           3.1.5. Path ...............................................14
           3.1.6. Subject ............................................16
      3.2. Optional Header Fields ....................................16
           3.2.1. Approved ...........................................17
           3.2.2. Archive ............................................17
           3.2.3. Control ............................................17
           3.2.4. Distribution .......................................18
           3.2.5. Expires ............................................19