I agree that UTF *could* be treated as a character set. However it
also has properties similar to a transfer encoding. When I have a
10646 editor (for mail), I think I would prefer that it be encoded in
UTF for transmition (over the eventual 8 bit connection). That way
when it is received by someone with the same mail handling facilities
I have, it would be automatically unencoded. If it is handled as
a character set, not a transfer encoding, then the user has to do the
character set transformation explicity.