Re: XML Messaging Data Items

["Paul Ulrich" <paul_ulrich@hotmail.com>]

The following comments also pertain to John Ibbotson’s Initial Draft of 
Message Header Classification for ebXML TP&R Working Group:

In the IETF XML Messaging Requirements, I would suggest that the Message 
Envelop/Manifest (outer wrapper) contain the following information to enable 
recipients to have an idea about the contents of messages before opening 
them at the (final) URL to which they are sent:

1. Message subject keyword/s (analogous to intention for sending the 
message);

2. Message duration--in seconds if the message is in a 
video/voice/streaming/mixed-media format for viewing or listening; in word 
count if the message is in text or data for reading (analogous to the word 
count function for MS Word or Powerpoint documents).

If the message is not encrypted, compressed, or encoded, then the Message 
Header’s Action Data should contain this information, for the same reason.

Having these items would permit, for example, mobile users to decide in 
advance (say, via receipt of an XML token) whether they want to download a 
particular message (or parts of it) from a series of incoming transmissions. 
  A recipient’s knowing, for example, that a particular message is 100 words 
long versus 1,000 (or 1 minute versus ten in duration) would be useful, even 
if the device or information appliance could download either length.  A 
longer, less important message (screened via XML tokens) might be postponed 
for later downloading to a different device like a PC or laptop.  (Just 
having kilobyte file size might not be so helpful, as it may vary 
considerably depending on the amount and types of included graphics or 
formatting.)

I think the draft under consideration should include this kind of feature.  
However, since I’m new to these various XML standards groups, I’m not sure 
if this is the proper arena to make the suggestion.

By the way, will you be working with the new SyncML group at www.syncml.org 
on the protocols?

Paul Ulrich
Cambridge, Massachusetts

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