Re: [apps-discuss] RFC 6657 on Update to MIME regarding "charset" Parameter Handling in Textual Media Types

Hi Graham,

On 10/07/2012 09:14, Graham Klyne wrote:
> On 10/07/2012 01:07, rfc-editor@rfc-editor.org wrote:
>>
>> A new Request for Comments is now available in online RFC libraries.
>>
>>
>>          RFC 6657
>>
>>          Title:      Update to MIME regarding "charset"
>>                      Parameter Handling in Textual Media Types
>
> I didn't see this one coming.  I'm a bit confused by the specification.
>
> If we define a media type that is *always* UTF-8, does this count as 
> transporting its own charset information?  Should we say that the 
> media type

I think you meant the "charset" parameter.

> SHOULD NOT be included, or that it SHOULD be included with value 
> UTF-8?  Section 3 implies the latter, but it also talks about media 
> types defining their own default encoding.

For backward compatibility with RFC 2045 it would be better to require 
explicit 'charset="utf-8"', but not allowing the charset parameter and 
saying that the payload for your text/foo media type is always in UTF-8 
is fine.

> (This is not an academic question - a W3C group I'm involved with is 
> about to submit a registration for a UTF-8 only text/... media type)
>
> #g
> -- 
>
>>          Author:     A. Melnikov, J. Reschke
>>          Status:     Standards Track
>>          Stream:     IETF
>>          Date:       July 2012
>>          Mailbox:    Alexey.Melnikov@isode.com,
>>                      julian.reschke@greenbytes.de
>>          Pages:      6
>>          Characters: 10111
>>          Updates:    RFC2046
>>
>>          I-D Tag:    draft-ietf-appsawg-mime-default-charset-04.txt
>>
>>          URL:        http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6657.txt
>>
>> This document changes RFC 2046 rules regarding default "charset"
>> parameter values for "text/*" media types to better align with common
>> usage by existing clients and servers.  [STANDARDS-TRACK]
>>
>> This document is a product of the Applications Area Working Group 
>> Working Group of the IETF.
>>
>> This is now a Proposed Standard Protocol.
>>
>> STANDARDS TRACK: This document specifies an Internet standards track
>> protocol for the Internet community,and requests discussion and 
>> suggestions
>> for improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the Internet
>> Official Protocol Standards (STD 1) for the standardization state and
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