Re: Dual names, IDN and ASCII, in e-mail addresses?

Keith Moore writes:
> is that a failure of MIME or a failure to completely implement MIME? 
> how can the MIME spec (or any spec) solve a problem if implementors 
> pick and choose which parts they are going to implement?
You can't force people to do a good job. Saying m-t-i adds some pressure 
to implement some support, but not adequate support.
If the spec is too hard to support properly, implementations will not 
contain proper support. IMO that is then a failure of the 
specification. Is MIME too hard? Arguably, yes, in parts. For example, 
it doesn't take a moron to overlook one of the content-disposition 
RFCs. How many programs get filename encoding wrong? (I suspect I do, 
come to think of it.)
I don't want to discuss that specific issue, or any other issues from 
the distant past. Done is done.
I do want to emphasize that since programs already have trouble with 
some of the odder corners, adding more complexity is best avoided.
--Arnt