[drats_users] Email Proposal

[Tony Langdon, VK3JED]

At 08:12 AM 10/20/2009, you wrote:

>Having said that, we need a way to link these modes for messaging so 
>that both groups can exchange messages or forms in a timely 
>manner.  Our ARES group is struggling to find an answer.  If SMTP 
>mail over the Internet is the common thread, so be it.  Can there be 
>a relatively simple way through some common platform that local 
>messaging can pass between users and different modes (D-STAR, 
>Packet, Outpost, WinLink)?  Is there some common interface between 
>applications/modes?  Can an app run on a gateway with a TNC and 
>radio attached to bridge the two for local and be an Internet 
>gateway for outbound SMTP messages?

I think this is the real issue.  We need a way of typing all these 
different messaging networks together.  It was done in the online 
world decades ago, with the Internet, Fidonet, packet BBSs, 
Compuserve and others all able to message each other.  I ran a Fido 
<--> Internet/Usenet gateway myself for a number of years in the 
early-mid 90s.  I was even able to use third party software to extend 
its capabilities to gate to/from Fido technology networks, other than 
the one it was configured to operate in.

Now, something similar (preferably with a more universal addressing 
scheme) would be a nice thing to have in the digital messaging world, 
so as a D-RATS user, I don't have to give a rats (sorry, bad pun ;) ) 
whether the other person is on packet, Winlink or some other 
medium.  I just send the message and it finds its way there, if there 
is a viable route (and with the Internet being widely available, it 
could be used as a transport medium, of course).

73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL
http://vkradio.com