INTERNET-DRAFT                               Charles H. Lindsey
Usenet Format Working Group                  University of Manchester
                                             July 2001

7. Control Messages

7.  Control Messages
   The following sections document the control messages.  "Message" is
   used herein as a synonym for "article" unless context indicates
   otherwise.  Group control messages are the sub-class of control
   messages that request some update to the configuration of the groups
   known to a serving agent, namely "newgroup".  "rmgroup", "mvgroup"
   and "checkgroups", plus any others created by extensions to this
   standard.

   All of the group control messages MUST have an Approved header
   (6.14).  Moreover, in those hierarchies where appropriate
   administrative agencies exist (see 1.1), group control messages Ought
   Not to be issued except as authorized by those agencies.
[They SHOULD also use one of the authentication mechanisms which we may
define when we get a Round Tuit.]



   The Newsgroups header of each control message SHOULD include the
   newsgroup-name(s) for the group(s) affected (i.e. groups to be
   created, modified or removed, or containing articles to be canceled).
   This is to ensure that the message progagates to all sites which
   receive (or would receive) that group(s). It MAY include other
   newsgroup-names so as to improve propagation (but this practice may
   cause the control message to propagate also to places where it is
   unwanted, so it should not be used without good reason).

   For convenience, the descriptions below are phrased on the assumption
   that control messages will be honoured by sites receiving them.
   Naturally, this does not apply where they have not been issued by the
   appropriate administrative agencies (and sites SHOULD take such steps
   as are reasonable practicable to validate their authenticity).
   Moreover, acceptance of such messages MAY be subject to local
   administrative restrictions, and MAY be denied or referred to an
   administrator for approval (either as a class or on a case-by-case
   basis).  Analogously, where the description below specifies that a
   message or portion thereof is to be ignored, this action MAY include
   reporting it to an administrator.

   Relaying Agents MUST propagate even control messages that they do not
   understand.

   In the following sections, each type of control message is defined
   syntactically by defining its verb, its arguments, and possibly its
   body.

Diffs to previous draft

--- {draft-04}	Wed Jul 11 21:55:58 2001
+++ {draft-05}	Wed Jul 11 21:55:59 2001
@@ -14,16 +14,23 @@
 [They SHOULD also use one of the authentication mechanisms which we may
 define when we get a Round Tuit.]
 
-   The Newsgroups header of each control message MUST include the
+
+
+   The Newsgroups header of each control message SHOULD include the
    newsgroup-name(s) for the group(s) affected (i.e. groups to be
    created, modified or removed, or containing articles to be canceled).
    This is to ensure that the message progagates to all sites which
    receive (or would receive) that group(s). It MAY include other
-   newsgroup-names so as to improve propagation (but this practice
-   should be regarded as exceptional rather than normal).
+   newsgroup-names so as to improve propagation (but this practice may
+   cause the control message to propagate also to places where it is
+   unwanted, so it should not be used without good reason).
 
-   The descriptions below are generally phrased in terms suggesting
-   mandatory actions, but any or all of these MAY be subject to local
+   For convenience, the descriptions below are phrased on the assumption
+   that control messages will be honoured by sites receiving them.
+   Naturally, this does not apply where they have not been issued by the
+   appropriate administrative agencies (and sites SHOULD take such steps
+   as are reasonable practicable to validate their authenticity).
+   Moreover, acceptance of such messages MAY be subject to local
    administrative restrictions, and MAY be denied or referred to an
    administrator for approval (either as a class or on a case-by-case
    basis). Analogously, where the description below specifies that a
@@ -36,21 +43,4 @@
    In the following sections, each type of control message is defined
    syntactically by defining its verb, its arguments, and possibly its
    body.
-
- 7.1.  The 'newgroup' Control Message
- 7.1.1.  The Body of the 'newgroup' Control Message
- 7.1.2.  Application/news-groupinfo
- 7.1.3.  Initial Articles
- 7.1.4.  Example
- 7.2.  The 'rmgroup' Control Message
- 7.2.1.  Example
- 7.3.  The 'mvgroup' Control Message
- 7.3.1.  Single group
- 7.3.2.  Multiple Groups
- 7.3.3.  Examples
- 7.4.  The 'checkgroups' Control Message
- 7.4.1.  Application/news-checkgroups
- 7.5.  Cancel
- 7.6.  Ihave, sendme
- 7.7.  Obsolete control messages.