I have reached the following preliminary conclusion, based on the
evidence collected in the Web page
http://www.apps.ietf.org/apps/last-call/mime-draft2.html:
- Multipart/alternative is implemented.
- Nested Body Parts are implemented.
- External Body Parts are implemented.
- Multipart/parallel is NOT implemented.
I strongly object to this last. Multipart/parallel had multiple, interoperable
implementations in 1990, before MIME even appeared as an RFC. Facilities
to generate parallel objects without hand editing also exist.
The evidence is a little weak on programs to generate nested body parts,
and on programs that generate EBPs that are not FTP; I will not pursue
this matter further at this time.
Based on this, I will recommend the following to the IESG:
- The current MIME drafts are accepted for Draft Standard
- The RFC-Editor is instructed to delete all reference to
multipart/parallel from draft-ietf-822ext-mime-imt-05.txt
RFC 1521 will remain the definition of that body part.
Again, I strongly object to this last.
Ned