Re: The MIME debate - my conclusions

"John W. Noerenberg" <jwn2@qualcomm.com> Thu, 22 August 1996 08:40 UTC

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Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 01:23:49 -0700
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From: "John W. Noerenberg" <jwn2@qualcomm.com>
To: Ned Freed <Ned.Freed@innosoft.com>, Harald.T.Alvestrand@uninett.no
Cc: ietf-822@list.cren.net, Ned.Freed@innosoft.com, moore@cs.utk.edu
Subject: Re: The MIME debate - my conclusions
In-Reply-To: <01I8ILCUR1C48Y5617@INNOSOFT.COM>
References: "Your message dated Tue, 20 Aug 1996 10:38:34 +0200" <26212.840530314@domen.uninett.no>
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At 11:09 PM -0700 8/20/96, Ned Freed wrote:
>> I have reached the following preliminary conclusion, based on the
>> evidence collected in the Web page
>> http://www.apps.ietf.org/apps/last-call/mime-draft2.html:
>
>> - Multipart/alternative is implemented.
>> - Nested Body Parts are implemented.
>> - External Body Parts are implemented.
>> - Multipart/parallel is NOT implemented.
>
>I strongly object to this last. Multipart/parallel had multiple, interoperable
>implementations in 1990, before MIME even appeared as an RFC. Facilities
>to generate parallel objects without hand editing also exist.

Yes, but implementations aren't the only criteria.  There must also be
significant adoption of the construct by users, as well.  So far in this
discussion, the only comments are that there is little evidence of use,
despite the implementations.  If multipart/parallel hasn't found acceptance
in 6 years, then I'm inclined to think it is unlikely to do so in the
future.

It may be wrong to say there are no implementations.  But I've yet to see
evidence that the user population at large has embraced it.

john noerenberg
jwn2@qualcomm.com
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