docno|NN =|SYM "|'' lists-|NN 003|CD -|: 2114716|CD "|'' received|VBD =|SYM "|'' Fri|NNP May|NNP 14|CD 14:29:45|NN 1993|CD EST|NNP "|'' sent|VBD =|SYM "|'' Fri|NNP ,|, 14|CD May|NNP 1993|CD 17:29:24|NN -|: 0400|CD "|'' name|NN =|SYM "|'' Steve|NNP Summit|NNP "|'' email|NN =|SYM "|'' scs@adam.mit.edu|NN "|'' subject|JJ =|SYM "|'' Re|NNP :|: CHARSET|NNP considerations|NNS "|'' id|NN =|SYM "|'' 9305142129.AA22544@adam.MIT.EDU|NN "|'' inreplyto|NN =|SYM "|'' 9305121752.AA00650@dimacs.rutgers.edu|NN "|'' To|TO :|: TROTH@ricevm1.rice.edu|NN ,|, pine-info@cac.washington.edu|NN Cc|NNP :|: ietf-822@dimacs.rutgers.edu|NN ,|, ietf-charsets@INNOSOFT.COM|NN ,|, In|IN <|NN 9305121752.AA00650@dimacs.rutgers.edu|NN >|NN ,|, Rick|NNP wrote|VBD :|: >|NN Any|DT user|NN of|IN Pine|NNP 3.05|CD (|( and|CC as|RB far|RB as|IN I|PRP can|MD tell|VB 3.07|CD or|CC 2.x|CD )|) >|NN can|MD shoot|VB themself|NN in|IN the|DT foot|NN (|( head|NN if|IN you|PRP prefer|VBP )|) by|IN setting|VBG >|NN character-set|JJ =|SYM Zeldas|NNP _|NN private|JJ _|NN codepage|NN .|. 
This|DT is|VBZ almost|RB certainly|RB a|DT bad|JJ idea|NN ,|, especially|RB if|IN (|( as|IN Rick|NNP implied|VBD in|IN another|DT part|NN of|IN the|DT referenced|JJ message|NN )|) the|DT user|NN can|MD do|VB so|RB by|IN setting|VBG a|DT default|NN charset|NN value|NN in|IN a|DT user|NN configuration|NN file|NN somewhere|RB .|. 
(|( If|IN users|NNS dink|NN with|IN the|DT message|NN headers|NNS themselves|PRP ,|, all|DT bets|NNS are|VBP off|RP .|. )|) 
>|NN Should|MD the|DT Pine|NNP developers|NNS remove|VB this|DT feature|NN ?|. 
I|PRP 'm|VBP not|RB sure|JJ what|WP the|DT feature|NN in|IN question|NN is|VBZ ,|, but|CC if|IN it|PRP 's|VBZ something|NN which|WDT lets|VBZ users|NNS specify|VB the|DT value|NN to|TO be|VB sent|VBN out|IN as|IN the|DT MIME|NNP Content-|NNP Type|NNP :|: charset|NN ,|, I|PRP think|VBP it|PRP 's|VBZ a|DT bad|JJ idea|NN ,|, and|CC should|MD be|VB removed|VBN or|CC significantly|RB altered|VBN .|. 
An|DT easy|JJ mistake|NN to|TO make|VB (|( I|NN speak|VBP from|IN experience|NN )|) is|VBZ to|TO assume|VB that|IN the|DT charset|NN parameter|NN on|IN a|DT MIME|NNP Content-|NNP Type|NNP :|: line|NN encodes|NNS the|DT character|NN set|VBN used|VBN by|IN the|DT entity|NN composing|VBG the|DT message|NN ,|, or|CC the|DT character|NN set|VBN to|TO be|VB used|VBN by|IN the|DT entity|NN displaying|VBG the|DT message|NN .|. 
I|PRP find|VBP that|IN the|DT best|JJS way|NN to|TO think|VB about|IN charset|NN is|VBZ that|IN it|PRP is|VBZ *|NN neither|DT *|NN .|. 
charset|NN is|VBZ an|DT octet-based|JJ encoding|VBG used|VBN during|IN message|NN transfer|NN ;|: it|PRP need|VBP bear|NN no|DT relation|NN to|TO the|DT composing|VBG or|CC viewing|VBG character|NN sets|NNS .|. 
In|IN the|DT most|RBS general|JJ case|NN ,|, a|DT message|NN will|MD be|VB composed|VBN using|VBG some|DT native|JJ character|NN set|VBD ,|, translated|VBN automatically|RB to|TO a|DT MIME-registered|NNP charset|NN ,|, and|CC translated|VBN at|IN the|DT other|JJ end|NN into|IN a|DT native|JJ display|NN character|NN set|VBN .|. 
It|PRP should|MD be|VB more|RBR likely|JJ that|IN the|DT charset|NN value|NN be|VB selected|VBN by|IN an|DT automaton|NN ,|, not|RB by|IN a|DT human|NN .|. 
(|( If|IN anyone|NN finds|VBZ the|DT above|JJ paragraph|NN startling|JJ ,|, you|PRP 're|VBP welcome|JJ to|TO write|VB to|TO me|PRP for|IN clarification|NN .|. 
I|PRP 'm|VBP not|RB going|VBG to|TO prolong|VB this|DT message|NN with|IN additional|JJ explanations|NNS right|RB now|RB .|. )|) 
It|PRP 's|VBZ not|RB necessarily|RB *|NN wrong|JJ *|NN to|TO think|VB of|IN charset|NN as|IN having|VBG something|NN to|TO do|VB with|IN the|DT composing|VBG or|CC viewing|VBG character|NN set|VBN (|( in|IN many|JJ cases|NNS ,|, not|RB coincidentally|RB ,|, all|DT three|CD will|MD be|VB identical|JJ )|) ,|, but|CC it|PRP is|VBZ very|RB easy|JJ to|TO make|VB conceptual|JJ mistakes|NNS ,|, implement|VB nonconformant|NN software|NN ,|, or|CC just|RB generally|RB misunderstand|NN how|WRB MIME|NNP is|VBZ supposed|VBN to|TO work|VB if|IN you|PRP do|VBP n't|RB explicitly|RB separate|JJ in|IN your|PRP$ mind|NN the|DT concepts|NNS of|IN composing|VBG /|NN viewing|VBG character|NN sets|NNS and|CC transmission|NN charsets|NNS .|. 
(|( You|PRP 'll|MD notice|VB that|IN I|PRP reinforce|VBP this|DT distinction|NN in|IN my|PRP$ own|JJ head|NN and|CC in|IN this|DT message|NN by|IN using|VBG the|DT terms|NNS "|'' character|NN set|VBN "|'' and|CC "|'' charset|NN "|'' noninterchangeably|RB .|. )|) 
The|DT charset|NN situation|NN is|VBZ much|JJ like|IN the|DT canonical|JJ CRLF|NNP situation|NN :|: the|DT fact|NN that|IN the|DT canonical|JJ representation|NN is|VBZ identical|JJ to|TO some|DT but|CC not|RB all|DT of|IN the|DT available|JJ local|JJ representations|NNS guarantees|NNS misunderstandings|NNS .|. 
To|TO be|VB sure|JJ ,|, automated|VBN selection|NN of|IN and|CC translation|NN to|TO a|DT registered|VBN MIME|NNP charset|NN is|VBZ a|DT non-trivial|JJ task|NN ,|, and|CC mailers|NNS which|WDT are|VBP trying|VBG to|TO adopt|VB MIME|NNP right|RB away|RB can|MD not|RB be|VB faulted|VBN for|IN deferring|VBG development|NN of|IN such|JJ functionality|NN for|IN a|DT while|NN .|. 
However|RB ,|, just|RB letting|VBG users|NNS specify|VB non-default|JJ ,|, non-|NN 7|CD -|: bit-|NN US-ASCII|NNP ,|, (|( non-|NN MIME|NNP )|) charsets|NNS is|VBZ an|DT open|JJ invitation|NN to|TO misunderstanding|VBG and|CC noninteroperability|NN .|. 
For|IN now|RB ,|, composition|NN agents|NNS which|WDT wish|VBP to|TO allow|VB users|NNS to|TO use|VB extended|VBD character|NN sets|NNS (|( such|JJ as|IN Latin-|NNP 1|CD )|) ,|, but|CC which|WDT elect|VBP to|TO relegate|NN character|NN set|VBN and|CC /|NN or|CC charset|NN selection|NN to|TO the|DT user|NN ,|, should|MD either|CC present|VB the|DT user|NN with|IN a|DT menu|NN of|IN registered|VBN MIME|NNP charsets|NNS from|IN which|WDT to|TO select|VB (|( presumably|RB it|PRP will|MD be|VB up|IN to|TO the|DT user|NN to|TO ensure|VB that|IN the|DT editor|NN or|CC composition|NN tool|NN is|VBZ actually|RB using|VBG a|DT character|NN set|VBD corresponding|JJ to|TO the|DT selected|JJ charset|NN )|) ,|, or|CC (|( in|IN the|DT case|NN of|IN what|WP it|PRP sounds|VBZ like|IN PINE|NNP is|VBZ doing|VBG )|) at|IN least|JJS filter|NN the|DT user|NN 's|POS open-ended|JJ charset|NN selection|NN against|IN the|DT list|NN of|IN registered|VBN values|NNS (|( and|CC perhaps|RB also|RB the|DT X-|NNP pattern|NN )|) .|. 
I|PRP 've|VBP copied|VBN this|DT message|NN to|TO the|DT IETF|NNP character|NN sets|NNS mailing|NN list|NN (|( ietf-charsets@innosoft.com|NN ,|, subscription|NN requests|NNS to|TO ietf-charsets-request@innosoft.com|NN )|) ;|: any|DT followup|NN traffic|NN should|MD be|VB sent|VBN there|RB ,|, and|CC *|NN not|RB *|NN to|TO the|DT ietf-|NN 822|CD list|NN .|. 
Steve|NNP Summit|NNP scs@adam.mit.edu|NN 
P.S.|NN to|TO pine-info@cac.washington.edu|NN :|: despite|IN my|PRP$ e-mail|JJ address|NN ,|, I|PRP 'm|VBP actually|RB in|IN Seattle|NNP ,|, near|IN UW|NNP .|. 
I|PRP 'd|MD be|VB glad|JJ to|TO stop|VB by|IN one|CD day|NN and|CC talk|NN with|IN you|PRP guys|NNS in|IN person|NN about|IN this|DT stuff|NN .|. 
