Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!nike!ucbcad!ucbvax!cyb-eng.UUCP!bc
From: bc@cyb-eng.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.protocols
Subject: Re: Formatting Query
Message-ID: <8609181416.AA15967@SALLY.UTEXAS.EDU>
Date: Thu, 18-Sep-86 10:16:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: SALLY.8609181416.AA15967
Posted: Thu Sep 18 10:16:28 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Sep-86 01:19:07 EDT
References: <12238683559.11.PALLAS@Sushi.Stanford.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 23
Approved: protocols@red.rutgers.edu

> [...]
> This clearly makes it illegal for SMTP mailers to expand tabs.  On the
> [...]
> This clearly suggests that mail-agents expand tabs before submitting
> them to mailers.
> 
> Meanwhile, if you use tabs in formatting such that the width of a tab
> stop affects the content of your message (e.g., in drawing pictures),
> other people will get what you deserve.
> 
> joe

I admit right off that I have little experience with mailers.  One point
I feel a layman can legitimately make, however, is that:

	If I have software on my end that knows what a tab means within
	a given context, and if I want to mail this file to someone else
	whose software is also aware of the context and of the meaning
	of tabs within that context, I think I should be able to do this
	without the mailer screwing up the situation.

Perhaps this is obvious and is no problem, in which case, please do not
followup to this article of concern.