Packetizer Forums: WebFinger2020-01-19T05:03:03ZPacketizer Forumshttps://forums.packetizer.com/webmaster@packetizer.comhttps://forums.packetizer.com/feeds/?f=77Copyright (C) 2020 Packetizer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Packetizer ATOM/RSS Feed Generatorhttps://www.packetizer.com/rss/images/packetizer.pnghttps://forums.packetizer.com/images/packetizer_icon.pngpaulejAutomatically configuring emailhttps://forums.packetizer.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=1425&p=2853#p28532020-01-19T05:03:03Z2020-01-19T05:03:03Z<div>Folks,<br/>
<br/>
Several years ago when I worked on <a href="https://www.packetizer.com/ws/webfinger/"><s>[url=https://www.packetizer.com/ws/webfinger/]</s>WebFinger[/url]</a>, one of the original objectives was to be able to use it to automatically configure email. I have several different email clients and each one is a pain to configure each time. What's worse is that I have to help others set up their clients. It's such a time-waster and it <I><s>[i]</s>should[/i]</I> be a lot easier.<br/>
<br/>
A colleague and I wrote this Internet draft: <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-jones-webfinger-email-autoconfig">https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-jones-webfinger-email-autoconfig</a><br/>
<br/>
It's not complete, as all the meat is still missing. However, the aim was to serve as an illustration of how it could be done. Sadly, when we discussed it with people in the IETF, we got the usual set of responses such as "it's already been done", "we don't need it", and "who will implement it?"<br/>
<br/>
Indeed, it has been done before. The problem is that there is no standard and the industry has not adopted a <I><s>[i]</s>de facto[/i]</I> standard, either. I personally do not care how it's done, but I'd love for all of my email clients to "just work" when I type in my email address and password-- completely setting themselves up without requiring me to enter any information (e.g., hostnames, ports, security settings).<br/>
<br/>
I'd love to hear from more others who have felt this same frustration, whether you're an IT person, email client developer, or an end user who understands the pain. I'd like to help move this idea forward, but I can't do it alone.<br/>
<br/>
Paul<br/>
<br/>
PS - I don't care if it take several years. Any day interest gathers, I'm willing to invest time to see it through.</div>paulejOpen Source WebFinger Client and Server Softwarehttps://forums.packetizer.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=386&p=1120#p11202013-11-22T03:38:52Z2013-11-22T03:38:52Z<div>If you're looking for open source WebFinger client and server software, visit this page:<br/>
<a href="http://www.packetizer.com/webfinger/software.html">http://www.packetizer.com/webfinger/software.html</a><br/>
<br/>
Packetizer's server has been updated now that RFC 7033 has been published to support only the functionality specified in the RFC. Whereas version 1.2 supported RFC 6415, that functionality has been removed. This made the code much simpler and easier to follow. (Tip-of-the-hat to all the IETF folks who beat me up over trying to hold on the the legacy XML syntax. You're entirely correct that JSON was the right way to go.)</div>paulejWebFinger published by the IETF as RFC 7033https://forums.packetizer.com/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=349&p=1056#p10562013-09-28T00:49:49Z2013-09-28T00:49:49Z<div><a href="http://www.techabulary.com/w/webfinger/"><s>[url=http://www.techabulary.com/w/webfinger/]</s>WebFinger[/url]</a> is a protocol that allows one to discover information about people or other entities on the Internet. It is possible, for example, to take one's email address (actually an "acct:" URI that looks like an email address) and discover information that that person wishes to share.<br/>
<br/>
For example, a user might share an avatar, various means to contact them, or even their Bitcoin address to receive money.<br/>
<br/>
The specification was published today by the IETF as <a href="http://www.packetizer.com/rfc/rfc7033/"><s>[url=http://www.packetizer.com/rfc/rfc7033/]</s>RFC 7033[/url]</a>, after several years of effort by a large number of interested people.<br/>
<br/>
You can learn more about WebFinger <a href="http://www.packetizer.com/webfinger/"><s>[url=http://www.packetizer.com/webfinger/]</s>here[/url]</a> and feel free to post and questions you have about WebFinger to this forum.</div>