Re: [idn] Some comments

[Dave Crocker <dhc@dcrocker.net>]

At 02:23 AM 1/15/2001 -0500, William Morris wrote:
>On Sun, 14 Jan 2001, Dave Crocker wrote:
> > MIME was the right answer.  "just do 8-bit SMTP" was not.
> > The ACE approach is the same paradigm as MIME.
>
>10 years ago, 7-bit with 1 bit parity network connections were
>more common. I dont think that is the case any longer.

You missed my point.

The paradigm pertains to making changes with an installed base.


>MIME was not just a solution for 8-bit data, it also solved the
>issue of multipart data.

Again, that is not relevant to the question of transition paradigm for an 
installed base.


> > It is the right way to lay an encoding enhancement on an installed base,
> > with the smallest amount of disruption.  It permits incremental adoption,
> > with immediate benefit to participants in the enhancement, and no
> > critical-path changes required of the infrastructure.  Changes to the
> > infrastructure can then happen later and more liesurely.
>
>I think the end solution should be unicode (utf/ucs/whatever)
>ACE is not part of a migration, it is an alternative.

no, it is not.  it is a transfer encoding of unicode.

>Infrastructure changes will only happen if there is a need for them.
>ACE will meet the developers and consumers needs, so changes will
>not happen if it is implemented.

The "pure" mode will take longer, yes.  That is different from never.

Transition of a large installed base requires attention to maintenance of 
current operation.  That's a necessary expense.

d/


=-=-=-=-=
Dave Crocker  <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
Tel: +1.408.246.8253,  Fax: +1.408.273.6464