This has been an interesting couple of days of conversation, but I must
observe that there has been no forward progress. To recap, the two
RFCXXXX issues that are most pressing are:
1) better define the content- types so that interoperation can be
assuered. This involves definitions such that a sane person can
determine where to position and register their foo files. A sub issue
is whether or not foo-file can be registered under two content-types.
2) indication of "proper" conversion of message in the event they are
needed. The origional theory of the group from all the way back in
St. Louis was that any conversion can be used for any body part (See
Ned's messages). A new view not fully discredited is that there is a
"prefered" conversion for some types and that should somehow be
indicated.
I sent two strawmen proposals. I received a handfull of comments on
the content-type definitions, and no comments on the encoding
definitions.
WE DO NOT NEED TO DEBATE 8BIT or BINARY on this list. Part of the
compromise that resulted in the split of the working group was that
RFCXXXX would be neutral with regard to transport and the transport
people could slug it out over 7bit, 8bit and BINARY in a different
place.
Let's get back to the two issues at hand. I want answers to the
following. Please send in comments.
Content-types:
1) Can sub-types be registered under more than one content-type. i.e.
can PostScript be both a image and text-plus?
2) Are the strawman definitions of the types clear? Please send
clarifications of radical disagreements. I already have heard
discontent about the use of application for "program input" rather
than for query-response or Knowbot type mail.
Encodings:
1) Are the data type and conversion type orthogonal? Some feel that
8bit or Binary implies quoted-printable or base64, and others feel it
does not. My strawman states it does, and adds a few new states to
make the states fully general.
2) I'd like comments on the strawman, but I'd be happy at this point
to have discussion on the above point.
PLEASE!!!! I don't want to debate whether 8 bit is euro-centric or
whether binary is forwever brain dead. These are not immediately
relevent to RFCXXXX. Debating this opens up fundamental.... and
settled questions about the nature of this document and transport
encodings.
Greg Vaudreuil
Message Format Extensions WG Chair.