Sunders point on copyright infringement & HTML

Allen Ethridge aethr at earthlink.net
Sun Dec 10 15:24:39 PST 2000


On 11/30/00 at 1:46 AM, tcmay at got.net (Tim May) wrote:

> So, you might say, "it works." Nope. Problems:
> 
> 1. I ain't gonna read messages that require me to launch my word 
> processor. Mail shouldn't need external word processors or text 
> editors.

Mail programs need, at the very least, text editors, or it becomes difficult to
compose.  Or do you mean that word processors should be integrated into mail
programs?

> Fact is, PGP and SMIME went the _wrong_ direction when message 
> signings started to require RTF, MIME, HTML, etc. (I realize these 
> are not all the same thing. The real issue is "non-ASCII.")

Luddite.

> ASCII is where it's at, at least for e-mail.

The real issue is a common format.  The fact that there is no common format more
complex than ASCII is a tribute to the power of corporations over the power of
standards - or, perhaps, if one had socialist tendencies, a tribute to the power
of corporations over the power of the people - but I'm a fan of standards.





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