Video-Message Message-Context

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 © The Internet Society (2004).

Abstract

The Message-Context header defined in RFC 3458 describes the context of a message (for example: fax-message or voice-message). This specification extends the Message-Context header with one additional context value: "video-message".

A receiving user agent (UA) may use this information as a hint to optimally present the message.

1. Introduction

Email messages can be used to convey many different forms of messages, and the user will interact with different types in different ways. As explained in RFC 3458 [1], the "message context" of the message conveys information about the way the user expects to interact with the message, such as which icon to display. RFC 3458 then registers the message contexts for a "voice-message", "fax- message", "pager-message", "multimedia-message", "text-message", and "none".

2. Video Message

One form of email is a message that consists mostly of a video stream. Examples of services that send video email are those connected to cell phones that capture video streams, and video email services that use webcams attached to a PC. These email messages currently consist of two flavors, both of which can be properly considered a video message:

1. those that embed the video stream internally within the message as a body part, and

2. those whose video stream is stored on a third party's video server.

However, none of the existing message contexts properly identify such video messages. This specification extends the Message-Context header with one additional context value: video-message.

3. IANA Considerations

3.1. Message-Context

As specified in RFC 3458 [1], this document registers "video-message" in the "Internet Message Context Types" repository.

Message-Context class name:

      video-message

Summary of the message class:

Indicates a message whose primary content is a video mail message. The primary content is video data. The context is usually a message recorded on a video camera, or a message whose primary purpose is to contain an external reference to a message recorded on a video camera.

Person & email address to contact for further information:

Tony Hansen, tony+msgctxt@maillennium.att.com.

4. Security Considerations

This header is intended to be an indicator of message context only. As such, it is only a hint and requires no behavior on the part of a message user agent.

5. Normative References

   [1]  Burger, E., Candell, E., Eliot, C., and G. Klyne, "Message
        Context for Internet Mail", RFC 3458, January 2003.

6. Author's Address

   Tony Hansen
   AT&T Laboratories
   200 Laurel Ave.
   Middletown, NJ  07748
   USA
   
   EMail: tony+msgctxt@maillennium.att.com

7. Full Copyright Statement

Copyright © The Internet Society (2004).

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Acknowledgement

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