MIME

[isham-research.freeserve.co.uk at pop.pol.net.uk]

> As Bob pointed out, MIME formatting is not a new problem, ...

We all know this.  For the record, I've been professionally employed
in the IT industry since 1969 and I'm a past vice-Chair of the
Computer Measurement Group with a life-long interest in the performance
and security of corporate IT systems.  My trip to Atlanta is funded
100% by IBM so that I can meet and discuss issues with their most
senior executives.  One of my 'registered interests' with IBM is the
future of mark-up languages in general and their potential as a vehicle
for multi-system heterogeneous database update and rollback with
corresponding application notification.

> Phil's singling out of specific posts and listers seems rather
> "self serving" to me.

It would, wouldn't it?  As I pointed out on 1 February, you lose no
opportunity to nit-pick about everything I post.  If I posted a recipe
for ice cream, you would tell me that African vanilla is superior -
if it were strawberries in pepper sauce doubtless you would wax lyrical
about Portugese green peppercorns.

In fact I had the opposite reason - that of informing fellow listers
that they were not reaching me, and leaving the solution (if they
choose to implement one) up to them.  I am very far from thinking that
I am indispensible to anyone, and so I didn't generate 'bounces'.  I
could, if you would prefer it.

> I really don't care about Phil's problem, ...

I don't have a problem.  I am filtering multi-part MIME and non-ASCII
single-part MIME for the specific reason that I don't WANT any problems.

Dan and Brett have done a superb job with the safety nets on the
list server.  I'm sure they would, however, be the last to say that
their efforts are comprehensive enough to be relied on absolutely.

> Add to that, when Bob D offered his comments (certainly in an
> "expert" capacity) wrt the topic and how to deal with it, the
> selfishness of the response became obvious to many.

It was Bob who opened with a gratuitous and ill-deserved slam at UK
ISPs and thus betrayed his ignorance of the very things you say he
is an expert on.

To save bandwidth with yet another set of headers - multi-part MIME
from the following was deleted unread this morning:

    rmyers at oak.total-web.net,
    pjberr at home.com,
    david at epicfoto.com,
    BeattyR at ummhc.org>
    puffy at riconnect.com>
    julian.stafford at virgin.net>
    randrews at austin.rr.com>
    evol00027 at hotmail.com>
    quattroking at hotmail.com>
    audidudi at mindspring.com>
    jdlarson at ix.netcom.com>
    tjfeider at email.msn.com>
    knotnook at traverse.com>
    RIG7881 at hotmail.com>
    vandervoort at qwest.net>
    c123666 at earthlink.net>

--
 Phil