Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!exodus!cairo.Eng.Sun.COM!tut
From: tut@cairo.Eng.Sun.COM (Bill "Bill" Tuthill)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: International character set requirements needed
Keywords: 8-bit data, mail
Message-ID: <5044@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 27 Dec 90 22:15:21 GMT
References: <7625@castle.ed.ac.uk> <1990Dec20.012516.23623@ico.isc.com> <1990Dec27.043500.27639@cbnewsk.att.com>
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hansen@pegasus.att.com (Tony L. Hansen) writes:
> 
> By the way, the SMTP protocol doesn't permit 8-bit data. This limits
> mailers which must send mail using that protocol.

True.  But there is no technical reason (other than short-sightedness)
why SMTP has to strip off the 8th (high) bit.  There are in fact working
versions of sendmail that don't disturb the 8th bit.