HBP> Base64 exists for one reason alone - because stupid MTAs had a
HBP> habit of molesting the messages they were transmitting.
DC> Base64 was added to permit sending random 8-bit data
DC> within a 7-bit stream.
DC> There was no intent to try to trick intermediaries.
In fact, you can go a step further and point out that if every SMTP
server understood the ESMTP binary option (RFC 3030) then base64 in
SMTP transmission could be completely eliminated from the face of the
earth. It was always intended as a transitional strategy, but it has
worked so well that there has been remarkably little incentive to make
it disappear. (Not enough people care about optimizing bandwidth in a
world where telcos are *still* at 50% overcapacity!)
I think Dave's real problem was with the term "molest" -- if a 7-bit
protocol is given 8-bit data, it can't do *anything* wrong or malicious
-- having been fed illegal data, its behavior is completely
unspecified. You're lucky it doesn't release poison gas into your
server room. :-) -- Nathaniel
_______________________________________________
Asrg mailing list
Asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg