[Mailman-Developers] multipart/alternative

[Brad Knowles]

At 11:11 AM -0700 2004/03/10, Jim Cole wrote:

>  Personally I agree with this view. I generally have no interest in
>  HTML slipping into my mail. Especially not list mail. However we
>  are trying to deploy a list solution in an environment where people
>  want their messages to arrive in much the same format that they
>  were sent.

	Then turn off all filtering, and let people suffer their consequences.

>  And that is? Or do you mean that the general dislike of HTML mail
>  by many is the deeper cause? If so I am still not sure that I
>  understand the justification for handling things as they currently
>  seem to be handled.

	A few moments of Googling for "html" and "e-mail" and "harmful" 
turned up the excellent description at 
<http://www.usethesource.com/articles/03/04/07/122224.shtml>.

>  The multipart/alternative code does not strip HTML. It strips
>  whatever happens to be the first non-empty alternative. Also,
>  the code already seems to provide other ways to strip HTML,
>  as well as other unwanted types, without resorting to collapsing
>  the multipart/alternative piece.

	I don't think it can do this without collapsing the 
multipart/alternative.  You could strip other types if they are bare, 
but I'm pretty sure that process is not recursive.  If it were, then 
you could leave multipart/alternative and whatever/html in the 
"pass_mime_types" field and Mailman should just Do The Right Thing.

>  I would prefer not give up filtering entirely just to let the
>  text/html piece of a multipart/alternative slip through the system.

	If they want to have the ability to blow off their foot with a 
nuclear device, who are you to tell them that this ability should be 
limited?

	Just turn off all filtering, warn them what the consequences are, 
and then leave them to their fate.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles at skynet.be>

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
     -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania.

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