In
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Graham Klyne <gk(_at_)ninebynine(_dot_)org> writes:
Notwithstanding the operational problems you mention, this suggests to me
that Accept-language should be included in the initial (permanent) registry
of email message headers, possibly carrying a warning about the operational
issues you note?
This raises a more general problem regarding headers that migrate from one
medium to another.
AIUI, Accept-Language is already an official HTTP header. Therefore it
will appear in the registry already, which itself should act as a strong
hint that it is the preferred header-name for a similar feature in other
media.
But if you want to go further and list it under those other media, then
you are required to refer to a defining document, and in such a case the
defining document will say nothing about those other media. So is that
allowed? I think the answer has to be that you go through the mechanism
defined in Graham's RFC-to-be which is to ask the IESG (via their
"designated expert"), following discussion in the "desginated email
discussion list". Well, none of that machinery is set up yet, so I suppose
discussing it on this list is the next best thing (BTW, could this list be
designated for that purpose? I doubt the suggested somelist(_at_)iana(_dot_)org
will
receive many subscriptions.)
A similar problem arises with the User-Agent header. Currently, this is
defined for use in HTTP, but is quite widely used in email and news. In
this case, the USEFOR WG has taken it on board and is defining it as an
official News header, with a throwaway remark that "It is also intended
that this header be suitable for use in Email".
Now I have just been writing the registration templates for the USEFOR
IANA Considerations section, so naturally the User-Agent header appears in
it. But also, on the stregth of that throwaway remark, I have tentatively
included is for both netnews and email. Opinions welcomed on that.
--
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
Tel: +44 161 436 6131 Fax: +44 161 436 6133 Web: http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~chl
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