Re: [idn] UNIX moving to UTF-8

["D. J. Bernstein" <djb@cr.yp.to>]

I've sent nameprepped UTF-8 names through many programs without trouble.
It's really quite rare for a UNIX program to mangle 8-bit characters.
(Sendmail is an exception, because of its clumsy string handling.)

Of course, programs that align text on a terminal---for example, mail
clients such as Mutt, and editors such as Emacs---have to understand the
width of a UTF-8 string. In most cases they already do, and in other
cases the upgrades will be done soon.

UTF-8 IDNs will also need mail clients to assume that message header
fields use UTF-8. I'm counting this upgrade and redeployment as part of
the cost of UTF-8 IDNs.

Keith keeps claiming that there are many more programs that would have
to be upgraded for UTF-8, but he refuses to name any of those programs.
Am I the only person who thinks our decisions should be based on facts?

---Dan