Explain the bind_email parameter to the registration endpoint better (SPEC-380)

[matrixbot]

In section 3.2.1 of the client-server spec, request parameter "bind_email" is described as:

If true, the server binds the email used for authentication to the Matrix ID with the ID Server.

There should be more context about what this means. What email? None of the other request parameters are an email address. What ID server? What does "binding" the email mean? What are the implications of binding or not binding an email address?

(Imported from https://matrix.org/jira/browse/SPEC-380)

(Reported by Jimmy Cuadra)

[matrixbot]

See my first comment in https://matrix.org/jira/browse/SPEC-308 for an explanation of why bind_email was so confusing. I'll still leave this issue open as an explanation of what binding actually does is still missing.

-- Jimmy Cuadra

[joepie91]

Is this still relevant? bind_email does not seem to appear in the latest version of the spec anymore.

(Though maybe a brief informal explanation would still be useful for homeservers aiming to implement older spec versions for compatibility reasons?)

[richvdh]

bind_email was a parameter on the /register endpoint (see https://matrix.org/docs/spec/client_server/r0.5.0#post-matrix-client-r0-register). It was removed in r0.6.0 of the C-S spec (matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals#2279). So no, this is no longer relevant.