1. Forum
  2. DOVE-Net
  3. Synchronet Sysops

  • NNTP: FTN addresses in (From) Display names

    From Carlos Navarro@VERT to GitLab issue in main/sbbs on Wed Jan 21 09:40:22 2026
    open https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/1057

    The NNTP server renders the From field of FTN messages like this:

    `"John Doe" (1:2/3) <John.Doe@f3.n2.z1.fidonet>`

    Some newsreaders show that as `John Doe (1:2/3)`, others as `John Doe`, and there's one that does `John Doe" (1:2/3)`

    I think that the correct way to render it, according to the RFCs, should be:

    `"John Doe (1:2/3)" <John.Doe@f3.n2.z1.fidonet>`

    It's an easy fix - just change line 36 in newsutil.js to:
    ```
    return format("\"%s (%s)\" <%s>"
    ```

    But... is it necessary to have the FTN address in the From field? If not, I suggest it is changed to only display the name, like:
    `"John Doe" <John.Doe@f3.n2.z1.fidonet>`

    (This would require changing the line above to `return format("\"%s\" <%s>"`, but also remove the second parameter)

    Would this break anything?

    PS this also happens with QWK addresses (though I've not tested)

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net
  • From Rob Swindell@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Wed Jan 21 13:45:20 2026
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/1057#note_8163

    I use Thunderbird and it displays the name and the FTN address of the message author quite nicely and replies go to FTN netmail address (via the Synchronet SMTP server) perfectly without mangling the name of the original author.

    Which RFC are you referring to?

    Per RFC822, the bit in parenthesis are comments and may or may not be rendered, but including the comment in quotes along with the name of the sender seems wrong. Still, how it's "rendered" by the news reader doesn't really seem to be a concern as much as leaving the name field in tact.
    The comment construct permits message originators to add text which will be useful for human readers, but which will be ignored by the formal semantics.

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net
  • From Carlos Navarro@VERT to GitLab note in main/sbbs on Fri Jan 23 05:46:03 2026
    https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/1057#note_8171

    Ok. Sorry, I hadn't realized those were meant to be comments.

    Anyway I don't like seeing those FTN addresses in the message list, so I'll probably remove them in my modded version, and maybe try adding an option or something.

    For reference:
    - Thunderbird and Seamonkey display both the name and the FTN address
    - Sylpheed, Claws Mail and PhoNews display only the name
    - HotdogEd-NNTP (wrongly) displays `John Doe" (1:2/3)`. Unfortunately it's no longer maintained)

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net
  • From Carlos Navarro@VERT to GitLab issue in main/sbbs on Fri Jan 23 05:50:16 2026
    close https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/issues/1057

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net
  • From Accession@VERT/PHARCYDE to Carlos Navarro on Fri Jan 23 09:07:55 2026
    Hey Carlos!

    On Fri, Jan 23 2026 07:46:03 -0600, you wrote:

    Ok. Sorry, I hadn't realized those were meant to be comments.

    I had asked about this in the not-so-distant past, also. Tin, of all clients, had a display issue with this. But we had done some research and found that it was Tin that was at fault. So we reported our findings and it was addressed.

    Anyway I don't like seeing those FTN addresses in the message list,
    so I'll probably remove them in my modded version, and maybe try
    adding an option or something.

    I've also removed them in my modded version, but if you "add an option or something", please let me know as I would be interested in doing the same!

    I had figured that if I can't read/write (moreso write, because the mail base can indeed be read) FTN netmail via NNTP, there was really no need for the comments, that were already messing up some other display options I had set in my SmartTemplates add-on.

    If I was an actual license holder for SmartTemplates, I probably could just report the issue there and get it fixed as it's most likely another case where those comments are not being fully ignored. That may still be in the cards, too.

    For reference: - Thunderbird and Seamonkey display both the name and
    the FTN address - Sylpheed, Claws Mail and PhoNews display only the
    name - HotdogEd-NNTP (wrongly) displays `John Doe" (1:2/3)`.
    Unfortunately it's no longer maintained)

    Tin and Slrn also just display the name now, as they should. I think when we went through all of this the RFC's stated that if you weren't going to use those comments, to ignore them. It seems HotdogEd doesn't ignore them fully (which was the same issue that Tin had before we contacted the maintainer).

    Regards,
    Nick

    ... Sarcasm, because beating people up is illegal.
    ---
    þ Synchronet þ _thePharcyde telnet://bbs.pharcyde.org (Wisconsin)