The reason why I argued for the elimination of the version stuff is that I
don't see multiple simultaneous versions in use in any really widespread
protocol. The "version 4" in TCP is a constant; Telnet, FTP, SMTP, and RFC822
all lack versioning.
I want to avoid the interoperability problems that exists when guy A only
implements version 23, and guy B only implements version 44, and guy C is
frustrated because he has to implement all these old versions down to version
1 because somebody *may* still use it.
The other parts are a simplification in the base standard, but not in what
will eventually evolve. I don't propose "eliminating" the other items; I just
propose moving all the non-base items out of the base standard.
I disagree with the claim that `the idea that our current version of "text"
works "well enough" is a very USA-centric view." It works quite well enough
to represent Japanese. Furthermore, from an interoperability standpoint, the
only thing wrong with US ASCII is that it uses character positions that other
countries have assigned for something else.
My viewpoint is not the USA-centric one, but rather the lowest common
denominator one. I *think* that we can label uppercase-only terminals as
"dead" and thus include lowercase alphabetic characters in the lowest common
denominator. But, for a guarantee of connectivity, the base character set has
to be one that we can all use. It does no good at all to send Greek, Arabic,
or Japanese to a terminal which cannot display that character set.
What I am therefore arguing for is that "TEXT" by itself represents that
lowest common denominator. We may allow domestic extensions within that 7-bit
range, as we already do now to accomodate the Europeans and the Japanese.
Once that is specified, we can then go into the realm of defining specified
text.
I think that 99% of all messages using character sets that are not in the
"lowest common denominator" or a close approximation thereof will be between
two individuals who know the capabilities of the other's terminal.
Finally, let me remind everyone of the grinning monster called FAX looming
over all of us. That is the true multi-national character set.