[LINK] RFI: Gmail in Reference: header

[Roger Clarke]

I have a filter running to pick up Gmail traffic.  (Mainly so that I 
can avoid replying to people who send from Gmail addresses, and 
partly to get some insight into what the bastards are up to).

This one of Jan's postings got caught by the filter:
>Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 11:04:09 +1000
>Subject: Re: [LINK] out of control law-types [was: The PLAN, and
	broadband speeds?

There was nothing in the visible message that contained 'gmail'.

But on examining the headers, I see this:
>In-Reply-To: <467C6A95.7010806 at pacific.net.au>
>References: <C2A033CD.CE7%stewart_fist at optusnet.com.au>
>	<467A4920.6020803 at lannet.com.au>
>	<61fgq6$350gdv at ipmail03.adl2.internode.on.net>
>	<467A819C.2090202 at stillhq.com>
>	<61fgq6$356456 at ipmail03.adl2.internode.on.net>
>	<DF4202A3-15A3-4784-8F58-6F8AF96AD745 at gmail.com>           <<<====
>	<467C3D34.9060305 at praxis.com.au> <467C55CB.6000208 at lannet.com.au>
>	<467C6A95.7010806 at pacific.net.au>

I haven't examined the email RFCs in order to find out what 
'References' are used for.  And, knowing that the documents are not 
that easy to read, I'm asking Link Institute denizens instead:

Do the contents of the References: header generate a message (and 
hence trap responses to gmail-originated threads in Google's 
database), or is it just a comment field?

Thanks!

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW