but I have to wonder - how likely is it that such XML-ish things
will be generated by vanilla MIME user agents anyway? isn't it
more likely that they will be generated by things that are XML-aware?
They will be generated by XML-generation thingies but labelled by
MIME-generation thingies. I don't have to have a new user agent with
XML-generation capabilities to use XML heavily.
As a specific example (which this thread has been conspicuously lacking), if
I attach an image/svg-xml file to this message and include the instructions
"Please copy the French text on the road sign", someone with an XML-aware
MIME client and an XML browser but no support for SVG can still probably
open the file and copy the text. By contrast, I the sender have no way of
adding $superclass support to my existing mailer, let alone the receiver's.
I think the thread has probably laid clear most of the issues involved.
However, we can see from new people popping in mid-thread that these will
all be re-raised if and when we ever go to last call.
Therefore, I'm going to work with Simon and Murata-san to create an -03
draft that summarizes the alternatives to -xml and issues with them. This
would most likely make sense as an appendix to the current draft.
Please let me know if you are unwilling for me to use text posted to the
list in these explanations (Ned, that especially mean you). Also, although
we'll announce a new draft on ietf-822 as well, I'd suggest that
ietf-xml-mime would be the best list on which to continue this thread, given
that it was expressly created for that purpose. People on ietf-822 are
probably (far too) aware of the situation by now.
- dan
--
Daniel Kohn <mailto:dan(_at_)dankohn(_dot_)com>
tel:+1-425-602-6222 fax:+1-425-602-6223
http://www.dankohn.com