Re: [apps-discuss] Last Call: <draft-ietf-appsawg-mime-default-charset-03.txt> (Update to MIME regarding Charset Parameter Handling in Textual Media Types) to Proposed Standard

Barry Leiba <barryleiba@computer.org> Tue, 08 May 2012 14:06 UTC

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Subject: Re: [apps-discuss] Last Call: <draft-ietf-appsawg-mime-default-charset-03.txt> (Update to MIME regarding Charset Parameter Handling in Textual Media Types) to Proposed Standard
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> Abstract
>   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.
...
> The file can be obtained via
> http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-appsawg-mime-default-charset/
>
> IESG discussion can be tracked via
> http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-appsawg-mime-default-charset/ballot/

This document sailed through IETF last call with no comments, but
something has come up in IESG evaluation -- Robert chatted with me
about this, and I suggested that he put a DISCUSS ballot in until we
resolve it.

The document makes it very clear that "existing registrations" are not
affected (and therefore retain their RFC 2046 default of US-ASCII for
charset).  But how does someone TELL that a subtype is "existing"?
Chasing documentation pointers and checking dates is not a reasonable
way.  Five years from now, when 60 more text subtypes have been added
to the 60 that are there, how will anyone know *which* of those 120
are affected by this spec and which are not?

Further, both (a) and (b) in section 3 are things that SHOULD be done;
what if a new registration does neither, violating both SHOULDs?  How
will someone know what its default is?

I think the right way to fix this is to put new text in near the end
of section 3, just to make things absolutely clear:
--------
OLD
  New subtypes of the "text" media type, thus, SHOULD NOT define a
  default "charset" value.  If there is a strong reason to do so
  despite this advice, they SHOULD use the "UTF-8" [RFC3629] charset as
  the default.

NEW
  New subtypes of the "text" media type, thus, SHOULD NOT define a
  default "charset" value.  If there is a strong reason to do so
  despite this advice, they SHOULD use the "UTF-8" [RFC3629] charset as
  the default.

  To maintain compatibility with existing registrations, this fallback rule
  applies: any subtype of the "text" media type that does not comply with
  the rules above retains US-ASCII as its default, as originally specified
  in RFC 2046.
--------

The document editors are OK with this text, but we want to pass it by
the working group for comment.  Does anyone object to this suggestion?
 Does anyone think the issue should be addressed differently?

Barry, Applications AD