On Mon, 16 Feb 1998, Ian Bell wrote:
From <draft-newman-mime-textpara-00.txt>
The Text/Paragraph Media Type
The text/plain media type is defined to represent plain text where
the CRLF sequence represents a line break [MIME-IMT]. Many modern
computer systems have a different concept of ``plain text'' from
the systems where the text/plain media type originated. These
modern systems usually use a proportional-spaced font and use CRLF
to represent paragraph breaks. Numerous software products have
erroneously labelled this media type as text/plain. In order to
correct this interoperability problem, the text/paragraph media
type is defined.
When I first read this, I didn't like the idea. But ...
text/paragraph is then defined in such a way as to simply codify the
existing (mal)practice. It still results in existing MIME-compliant
software displaying messages that use the new media-type with unreadably
long lines.
Which I find totally unacceptable. But I don't think
that is what will happen. As Jacob points out, when (if?)
text/paragraph is accepted (and UNDERSTOOD) then MUAs will
finally have a way of dealing with the (mal)practice.
As mentioned later in that draft, there may also be problems
when such messages are quoted (and requoted), and with signature files
which usually include lines that are not meant to be wrapped.
Yes. But the burden is on the MUA to process content
into presentation, and then process presentation into content
for the reply (if any). This new CT facilitates that end by
offering a recognizable handle on what some systems are presuming.
Thus, my proposal for text/paragraph would be that:
...
Please do NOT introcuce dependencies on whitespace.
Leading, trailing, mixed TABs and BLANKs: they all lead to
new and wonderful forms of (mal)practice.
it is said that some MTAs or gateways routinely strip trailing
whitespace or even pad lines with white space. ...
It is truly said. But stripping and padding of whitespace
is not limited to MTAs (though may be exclusive to MTAs within the
realm of electronic mail).
--
Ian Bell T U R N P I K E Ltd
Thanks for your constructive thoughts.
--
Rick Troth at La Casita, Houston, Texas, USA