Subject: [EAI] Downgrading of UTF-8 Subject: header

From: Derek Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:22:49 -0500

The following pertains the downgrade method proposed in 
draft-ietf-eai-downgrade-05.txt. And specifically, to this exclusively 
as it applies to the "Subject:" header.

The process of downgrading a message containing UTF-8 characters in the 
value portion of its "Subject:" header results in the generation of a  
non-UTF8 message that will be displayed by all current UTF8SMTP unaware 
MUA's without a "Subject:" header. The reason for this is because the 
current downgrading method requires that the "Subject:" header label be 
renamed to "Downgraded-Subject:" for purposes that unclear to me at the 
time of this writing. As a result of this, all current MUA's identify 
this new "Downgraded-Subject:" header as unknown and fail to display a 
subject to the user. Given the importance of the "Subject:" header we 
should make an effort to preserve this header as much as possible.

An alternate method for downgrading the subject header would be to MIME 
encode the value portion of the "Subject:" header leaving the header 
label untouched. However, some may argue that this doesn't preserve the 
original data so [optionally] a "Downgraded:" indicator could be added 
labeling the message as downgraded. This indicator would be prefixed to 
the "Subject:" header value similarly to how the "Re:" indicator is 
prefixed by an MUA when a message is replied to.

For example:
    Subject: value-containing-utf8
after downgrade would become
   Subject: mime-encoded-value-containing-utf8
or, with optional "Downgraded:" indicator
   Subject: Downgraded: mime-encoded-value-containing-utf8

-- 

Derek Williams
<[email-masked]>                                                              
Afilias Canada
204-4141 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON Canada
M2P 2A8

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---

From: Derek Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:43:44 -0500

Please disregard this email. I recently noticed that the "Subject:" 
header is not re-named. My apologies.

Derek Williams wrote:
> The process of downgrading a message containing UTF-8 characters in 
> the value portion of its "Subject:" header results in the generation 
> of a  non-UTF8 message that will be displayed by all current UTF8SMTP 
> unaware MUA's without a "Subject:" header. The reason for this is 
> because the current downgrading method requires that the "Subject:" 
> header label be renamed to "Downgraded-Subject:" for purposes that 
> unclear to me at the time of this writing. As a result of this, all 
> current MUA's identify this new "Downgraded-Subject:" header as 
> unknown and fail to display a subject to the user. Given the 
> importance of the "Subject:" header we should make an effort to 
> preserve this header as much as possible.
>
> An alternate method for downgrading the subject header would be to 
> MIME encode the value portion of the "Subject:" header leaving the 
> header label untouched. However, some may argue that this doesn't 
> preserve the original data so [optionally] a "Downgraded:" indicator 
> could be added labeling the message as downgraded. This indicator 
> would be prefixed to the "Subject:" header value similarly to how the 
> "Re:" indicator is prefixed by an MUA when a message is replied to.
>
> For example:

-- 
Derek Williams                                                            204-4141 Yonge Street
Afilias Canada                                                               Toronto, ON Canada
<[email-masked]>                                                              M2P 2A8