Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 06:53:59 -0500 From: Bart Silverstrim <bsilver@chrononomicon.com> To: FreeBSD-questions Mailing List <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Mail readers Message-ID: <1BE441DA-799C-11D8-9BC6-000A956D2452@chrononomicon.com> In-Reply-To: <d165d19syq.5d1@mail.comcast.net> References: <200403182042.i2IKg2c18484@clunix.cl.msu.edu> <2C0C0548-791E-11D8-A66F-000A956D2452@chrononomicon.com> <d165d19syq.5d1@mail.comcast.net>
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On Mar 19, 2004, at 2:49 AM, Gary W. Swearingen wrote: > Bart Silverstrim <bsilver@chrononomicon.com> writes: > >> No. Nothing. Format=3Dflowed applies solely to plain-text messages. = HTML >> messages already have something functionally equivalent to f=3Df: the >> <BLOCKQUOTE> attribute, which... um... quotes blocks of text. When = f=3Df >> mailers that also can handle HTML encounter <BLOCKQUOTE> text, it=92s >> usually marked up with the same excerpt bars we=92re familiar with = from >> f=3Df. Format=3Dflowed isn=92t actually at work there, but since >> <BLOCKQUOTE> text flows nicely when you resize a window, the effect = is >> the same. > I've never heard of this f=3Df stuff and don't have time just now to > investigate, but I'll keep typing anyway. I think the problem is > the same but worse. f=3Df is probably spec'd in a new draft RFC and > many mail readers don't support it, so your correspondents on a list > list this can't handle it well. > According to the FAQ, it (f=3Df) was developed (IIRC) by Qualcomm to not=20= solve any problem in particular. However, this form of formatting=20 would allow text to be easily formatted into columns readable by any=20 kind of simple display...i.e., PDAs and cellphones with text messaging=20= and email, etc. and at the same time it would easily scale to larger=20 (PC) displays with pretty formatting and proper wrapping. Older=20 readers would just ignore the formatting characters and mangle it=20 accordingly. Oddly enough (if my current theory holds) where the invisible f=3Df=20 formatting is inserted in an Apple app is dependent on the width of the=20= composition window...which on my iBook really sucks because this window=20= looks so NARROW compared to what I'm used to, hoping that other=20 people's mail readers work a little better with reading my posts to the=20= list. I haven't heard other people complaining as much about my mail=20 wrapping at the 120 mark, so I'm hoping that maybe this will make it=20 easier for others... It shouldn't be that hard for terminal mailers to adopt f=3Df, if I'm=20 understanding it properly...just be a matter of time. -Bart
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