I can understand that. The point I'm trying to make, is why does Randy
> Bush *need* to make this a community problem, instead of talking directly
> to the user whose mail he cannot read?
perhaps in your haste to rant on you missed my message apologizing for doing so?
randy
I have known Bill for years, and respect him for a lot of what he has done. But if he is wrong, I have zero trouble calling him on it. Who you are doesn't change facts.
That said, I admit I probably hesitate a bit longer before flaming Dr. Cerf. 
If you've ever met them both, you would understand why.
>
> Hrmm....
>
> How many of you realize who Bill Manning is ?
yup.. i do. he's a wizzend, cynical, troll (may or may not
be naked - see his previous post on not wanting to be forced
to wear a teeshirt)
> While you are at it, go flame Vinton Cerf... I am sure he
>will learn from you, too......
been there, done that. learned quite a bit.
I have known Bill for years, and respect him for a lot of what he has
done. But if he is wrong, I have zero trouble calling him on it.
Who you are doesn't change facts.
amen there.
That said, I admit I probably hesitate a bit longer before flaming
Dr. Cerf.If you've ever met them both, you would understand why.
Vint does present a smaller target most days.
--bill
</signal><noise>
That said, I admit I probably hesitate a bit longer before flaming Dr. Cerf.
I have, on more than one occasion. My old address was @onecall.net
Perhaps you saw our cars in the Indy 500 ?
Vint does present a smaller target most days.
Well, there *is* the Atkins diet..... 
C-ya.
</noise><signal?>
> Which is just one of the reasons that the MIME type
> "multipart/alternative" exists. Sane MUAs that wish to send HTML also
> send a text/plain alternative segment in the same MIME stream.Vernon Schreyer made a very good point years ago that multipart/alternative
is fundementally busticated, because there's two options:
...
I have been seeing a lot of a third option: the text part is either
empty, contains filler, or says [essentially], "Your mail reader is
broken, get one that reads HTML." These are all just wrong. And no
longer limited to SPAM or malware, lest someone suggest that.
...
In either case, sending both plain and html versions is boneheaded and wrong.
A case may be made that at least it's an attempt. Some MUAs will at
least flag where they have had to elide content.
Remember that not everybody communicates/learns in the same way. Some
need the pretty pictures. Some need to avoid them, and stick to text.
at least a rather updated version of ucb mail, that also does imap /
pop / ssl / smtp + auth etc
"heirloom mailx" aka "nail" - http://nail.sourceforge.net
Personally I find it sad that at the prospect of a list archive being
censored, the only discussion that could come up on this list was HTML
versus plain text.
Had the guy not re-sent the whole nonsense to the list itself I might have
more sympathy for him.