Erland,
Saturday, January 11, 2003, 2:22:37 PM, you wrote:
Erland> Dave Crocker <dcrocker(_at_)brandenburg(_dot_)com> writes:
Erland> Why let it stop with 7 bits? Why not cram it into one bit, while
you're
Erland> at it?
If this is is an example of the way discussions have gone on usefor, then
it's pretty clear why the technical work is in trouble.
7-bit netascii is a long-standing internet norm. that's why.
Erland> If you were unimpressed by the argument, that was kind of the point.
I know the feeling.
Mine was that your thinking that carrying the point ad absurdem would
somehow be useful shows a lack of understanding for what was being said, as
does your latest response.
1. netascii has a 30-year installed base.
2. compatibility with netascii is an explicit goal when working with email.
3. the logic behind that goal is applicable to any other application having
a similar installed base history.
4. paying attention to the installed base requires worrying about
compatibility with what has been established practise, not what "might" work
or what is "frequently" available.
5. encodings are different from representations. representation is the
real, "native" data. encoding is a way of transporting that data over a
constrained environment.
6. the fact that one 7-bit encoding scheme was not successful does not
condemn all 7-bit encoding schemes.
7. breaking standards is not measured by whether someone's code core-dumps.
it is measured by whether it violates the specification. sending 8-bit data
in a 7-bit environment breaks the specification. sending valid strings of 7-bit
data that might need further interpretation (to obtain the semantics) does
not.
it would be extremely helpful for this topic to benefit from attention being
paid to deployed, real-world standards-based installed base.
Erland> Yes it would. So why don't you do so, rather than referring to
Erland> theoretical 7-bit editors?
the reference has been to standard, deployed text editors and display
capabilities. that is practical reality, not theory.
So,
Unless I am missing something, the line being pursued is identical to the
"just send 8-bits" argument that was used 10 years ago for email. It was
misguided then and nothing has changed.
When you folks want to pay more attention to established standards practise
and to the real installed base, you might make some standards progress.
d/
--
Dave <mailto:dcrocker(_at_)brandenburg(_dot_)com>
Brandenburg InternetWorking <http://www.brandenburg.com>
t +1.408.246.8253; f +1.408.850.1850