Re: Wrapping long lines (Was Re: FAQ update suggestion for "I'm having basic problems with find. Why?")

[Eduardo Chappa <chappa at math dot washington dot edu>]

On Thu, 8 Jul 2004, Brian Dessent wrote:

:) > We may agree or disagree about format=flowed sent to this list, but
:) > we have to agree that what was sent was an e-mail message, perfectly
:) > valid e-mail message to a mailing list and not a web page to a web
:) > site.
:)
:) RFC2822 (which obsoletes the old RFC822) states in section 2.2.1:
:)
:) There are two limits that this standard places on the number of
:) characters in a line. Each line of characters MUST be no more than 998
:) characters, and SHOULD be no more than 78 characters, excluding the
:) CRLF.

Yes, I read that, a long time ago, but that means that "it is recommended
that a client sends lines with less that 78 characters, and if you do send
one with more than 78 characters, e.g. 444, you are still in compliance of
the RFC".  That's what the word SHOULD means in that RFC.

:) Wrapping lines at less than 80 characters is the standard accepted way
:) of sending text email.

I do no disagree with you. In fact I do all the time.

:)  It's the least common denominator that's guaranteed to work
:) everywhere.

Not in my PDA. You see, today we have screens that are less than 80
characters wide, and that's the reason why we have flowed format.

:)  It's just like HTML email - can I read it?  Yes.  Do I want it in my
:) inbox?  Heck no.  Just because you can do something doesn't mean you
:) should.

Yes, you should read the definition of SHOULD in an RFC, did you do it,
no. Next time look for a better argument to support your point.

-- 
Eduardo
http://www.math.washington.edu/~chappa/pine/

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