Xref: utzoo comp.sources.d:3176 news.groups:6767 news.software.b:1841
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!netsys!netsys1!len
From: len@netsys1.netsys.COM (Len Rose)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d,news.groups,news.software.b
Subject: Re: comp.datasets Call For Discussion
Summary: There are other considerations
Message-ID: <4@netsys1.netsys.COM>
Date: 7 Jan 89 16:06:35 GMT
References: <1249@fig.bbn.com> <1280@vsi1.UUCP> <151@cjsa.WA.COM> <394@ispi.UUCP> <6182@hoptoad.uucp>
Organization: Netsys,Inc.
Lines: 23

In article <6182@hoptoad.uucp>, gnu@hoptoad.uucp (John Gilmore) writes:
# We'd have to determine the impact on old-news, NNTP, notes, Fidonet,
# and other sites that netnews gateways to, but certainly we can start
# with real binaries in a comp.data newsgroup (or alt.data), and folks whose
# software can't handle it should simply not receive the newsgroup.  If
# it works out, it can be expanded to more newsgroups or to the whole net.

 The problem is that certain modem pools,ISN's,and the like simply cannot
handle 8 bit data.. All I ask is that there still be some vehicle to allow
encoding into 7 bit ascii.

# We are close to the point where we can rely on there being a full 8-bit
# data path.  It's time to say "folks who don't provide 8 bits must
# encode 8-bit data while in transit" rather than "we'll all live with 7
# bits forever and uuencode everything".  Just a leetle push now will save
# us a *lot* of trouble.

 Thus by one stroke you knock off many sites that depend on 7 bit data
transfers. The argument that the folks who rely on 7 bit data transfer
schemes,can adapt is or stop receiving news is unrealistic and unfair.

 Surely we can add provisions for 7 bit encoding so that less fortunate
 sites can still be a part of the community.