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From: ed@braaten.doit.sub.org (Ed Braaten)
Newsgroups: news.software.b,news.misc,news.software.nn,sub.config
Subject: Re: Time for 8 bit news, isn't it?????.
Message-ID: <3863a@braaten.doit.sub.org>
Date: 4 Aug 90 22:30:30 GMT
References: <900802011259.00001B1F@MARVIN.CTSS.CO.UK>
Organization: Systems Engineering, Intel GmbH, Munich, West Germany
Lines: 54

VERKADE@CTSS.CO.UK (Herman Verkade) writes:

>A couple of comments on 8 bit news. It seems to me that it is not necesary to
>convert the whole net to 8 bit. The 7 bit restriction is only a problem for
>specific newsgroups: newsgroups in languages other than english and newsgroups
>containing binary data, such as bitmaps, .gif files, etc. So, I don't think
>**everybody** needs to upgrade to some implementation that supports 8 bits.
>Only those that wish to carry newsgroups, that need it. All we would need
>is a standard, not necesarily a world-wide upgrade of software.

I think this is the right approach to the problem.  If it works, don't
fix it! ;-)  But give the non-English and binary people a chance.  A 
standard, however is an absolute must.

>My proposal would be RFC-1154-style, because it also allows one message to
>contain encodings in different parts and could therefore also be used to
>automaticaly convert different parts of a message in 7 bit groups. For
>example, a message containing a uuencoded file preceded by some explanation
>in ASCII and a signature at the bottom, could have a header such as:

>    Encoding: 10 text, 1045 uuencode, 5 text

>A smart news reader could display the two text parts and ask whether you want
>the uuencode bit to be uudecoded. For an article containing a header like:

>    Encoding: 15 text, 637 uugif, 5 text

>the reader could then automatically extract the uuencoded .gif file and
>display an image instead. Etc, etc, etc. And only users that want such
>functionality switch to a news reader that supports it.

How about it?  Could we get the author of nn sold on this?  (I'm
crossposting this article to n.s.nn to find out...)

>I realise that I am discussing two seperate topics here:
>1) Provide 8 bit transport mechanisms so that international character sets
>   can be used, but enable 8 bits only on a newsgroup by newsgroup basis
>   with either a designated character set for such a group, or an Encoding
>   header to indicate the character set.
>2) An Encoding: header for carrying data other that text (in either 7 or
>   8 bit groups).

I like your suggestions Herman.  What about the rest of the net?
Opinions?  Comments?

Greetings from Munich,

Ed

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        Ed Braaten             |  Jesus answered,  "I am the way and the
Work: ed@imuse.de.intel.com    |  truth and the life.  No one comes to the
Home: ed@braaten.doit.sub.org  |  Father except through me."   John 14:6 
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