Re: MIME/HTML mail, was Re: SSH tunneling / X forwarding

From: Richard E. Silverman (slade@shore.net)
Date: 03/30/03 

From: slade@shore.net (Richard E. Silverman)
Date: 30 Mar 2003 11:02:34 -0500

>>>>> "amr" == all mail refused <elvis@notatla.demon.co.uk> writes:

    amr> All I want from the usenet and email is the ability to read and
    amr> publish written words (ASCII is fine for most English).

Again, English is not the only language on Earth. "Written words" does
not have to somehow preclude the use of better typography than can be
obtained with a typewriter. And as for "only" wanting words -- well, for
example, in this newsgroup, we often see moderately complicated network
situations, which are best explained using a diagram. Making a quick
picture and slapping it on a scanner, or drawing it on the computer, and
including it in my post would aid in understanding. But of course, you'll
never see it. So I have to go through the silly exercise of trying to
draw a diagram using ASCII characters, which is like trying to paint with
Legos.

As Alice said, "It's a poor sort of book that doesn't have any pictures."

(Please, no pointers to Emacs picture-mode or similar dren -- that's not
the point.)

    amr> The same goes for most web traffic although http and ftp are good
    amr> for binaries (and I think ftp should be obsolete). I have no
    amr> scruples about rejecting traffic that doesn't suit me - including
    amr> all mail containing HTML.

    amr> I'm realise that 6e9 people don't all have to agree with me.

Do you? Because you aren't just filtering stuff you don't want to see.
You (or at least, others in this thread) are also publically promulgating
the point of view that no one should post such material, either.
Acceptance of that principle denies others the ability to use a wide
variety of languages, or reasonable forms of visual expression. It's one
thing to decide that "all you want" from usenet/email is an English-only
medium, with visual formatting capabilities stunted to a level *worse*
than before the invention of the computer. It's quite another to also
decide that everyone else should also be so limited, and try to enforce
that edict. 

-- 
  Richard Silverman
  slade@shore.net

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