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Re: [fwd] Last Call: Critical Content MIME Parameter to Proposed Standard

2002-06-10 12:51:54

Since this document attempts to update the MIME content-disposition field,

Actually it doesn't do that. That was already done in RFC 3204. All this
document does is to try and insure that definition is consistent across
multiple applications of content-disposition.

Sigh.  IMHO it's a Bad Idea to try to extend multiple protocols with
different semantics and use cases using something that looks like the 
same mechanism.  Content-disposition was designed for email, not SIP.
Trying to conflate the two just invites confusion. I suppose RFC 3204 
is really to blame for this, but I don't think it's a good idea to
try to propagate that error.

Personally, I think it's a mess.

Care to be more specific? This document is about to be last called for the
second time. It has been openly discussed in the working group on numerous
occasions. The SIP document was last called, approved, and published some 
time ago. I don't recall receiving a single message from you expressing 
concern about any of this.

It had been awhile since I looked at the document.  Last time I looked at
it, I had a favorable impression of it. So I thought it was fine until I 
read the latest version just now.

(there's something terribly wrong if the VPIM working group can make updates
to mainstream email protocols without explicit review from the mainstream
folks)

That's why we have IETF last calls. The document title clearly indicates that
it is a general MIME mechanism. Frankly, if you want to be upset about
something, be upset about RFC 3204, where neither the title nor the abstract
indicate that a parameter has been added to content-disposition.

RFC 3204 definitely does upset me more; I just wasn't aware of it until 
reading this document.  

Actually the thing that bugs me the most (so far) is the reuse of 
Content-disposition in a SIP environment, because the entire point of 
content-disposition was to deal with the unique properties of email where
there's no good feedback loop between sender and recipient.  
It's not the fault of this document that 3204 reused content-disposition, 
but this document seems likely to increase the confusion.

as I said in another message, I'm working on detailed comments.
sometimes I find that I have fewer complaints once I'm done 
making a detailed pass over the document than I did on the first 
reading.  (sometimes not).

in the meantime, it seemed like a good idea to bring this to the 
attention of other mainstream MIME folks.

Keith