[kde-linux] Fwd: Problem with "&" in email address

[JACKIE AINSWORTH]

Hi!
Linux newbies here, listening in.
We found the techy explanation by Steve O'Neill and his 'nuts & bolts'
understanding re: 'ASCII values and 26H or 38 decimal', genuinely
intriguing.  Where could we industry outsiders begin to educate
ourselves to eventually get insight into such basics?
It might help us fix issues eventually.
(If any one got time to signpost us.)
kind regards,
Jim & Jackie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Steve O'Neill <soneill at netaxs.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 10:54:51 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [kde-linux] [kdepim-users] Problem with "&" in email address
To: For people using KDE on Linux with related questions/problems
<kde-linux at kde.org>

On Thu, 26 Jan 2006, Thomas Taylor wrote:

> On Thursday 26 January 2006 15:01, Martin Schmidt wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > Hi!
> >
> > Am Donnerstag, 26. Januar 2006 11:04 schrieb Stefan Roese:
> > > When I try to send an email to an recipient with an "&" in the address I
> > > get the following error (using "abc&def at dummy.org"):
> > >
> > > abc (The server responded: "5.1.1 <abc>... User unknown")
> > >
> > > I am using kmail 1.9.1. I had no problems with those email addresses
> > > using kmail 1.8.x.
> > >
> > > Any ideas?
> >
> > A & is not a legal character in an address - if I remember correctly.
> >
> > I was told so a few years ago... Am I wrong?
> >
> > Try using a free webmailer or something to send a mail to the address. If
> > the server still responses with the same message => that address is not
> > exisiting.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Martin Schmidt
> >
> > - --
> >     fortune-mod version 9708 says:
> >
> > Bewunderung: Die höfliche Beachtung des anderen Menschen, der
> > Ähnlichkeit mit dir hat.
> > 		-- Ambrose Bierce
> >
> >     Get my GPG key here:
> >     gpg --keyserver blackhole.pca.dfn.de --recv-keys F4622F1C
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux)
> >
> > iD8DBQFD2Sqw18BOPfRiLxwRAo4oAJ4n0NuEXjVGK1/FKp3WMfxo+rDaqACffuGw
> > 2USsUiSJYl0DPkLtm0degy0=
> > =+TN2
> > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > _______________________________________________
> > KDE PIM users mailing list
> > kdepim-users at kde.org
> > https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kdepim-users
>
> Google to "RFC2822".   The specification calls for only 7-bit ASCII.  The
> ampersand (&) is an 8-bit ASCII value, therefore not allowed.
>
> HTH,
> Tom
>

Uh-uh.  A "&" has an ASCII value of 26H or 38 decimal.  The MSB is definitely
set to zero, which means it is sent in 7 bits, like all the other printable
ASCII characters.  The OP's problem is probably that somewhere in the mail
handling chain, most likely at his machine, "&" is interpreted as a control or
command character, and not sent, thereby not getting the message to the
correct address.

Steve O'Neill