ietf-822
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Re: standards/suggestions for MIME transport of PC filetypes?

1993-08-27 11:28:29

It is unwise to associate the content-type with a specific program name. 
Sometimes there will be more than one possible application that can deal
with a particular content-type.  Other times there will be one program used
to display the content on the screen, while another one is used to print it
on paper.  And worst of all, this promotes the idea that a content-type is
specific to a particular platform.  I realize this is often the case now but
platform-specific file formats are going to fall into disfavor (IMHO).

As soon as you add a version parameter you have to define what it means. 
Does my reader have to have exactly the same version?  Or any later version?
Is "later" defined by comparing numerically or in ASCII collating sequence?

Hopefully the various vendors will define file formats (and content-types)
that are not specific to a particular platform, to be used when excanging
data through the mail.  Until then, we may well need content-types named
product-x-by-vendor-y-for-operating-system-z

Keith Moore