Re: lynx-dev Lynx does not open some http sites, forces download

[Leonid Pauzner]

31-Jan-99 11:24 Mykola Sereda wrote:
>         The purpose of this posting is to outline the experience
> gathered from the analysis of the error (see Subject: header).

>         Summary of my opinion: the error is not related to the
> version number. The error is caused by MIME, or more precisely,
> the disorder that its implementation introduces in the transmission
> of 8 bit text files.
>         Summary of my conclusion: best of all, the intervention of
> MIME should be abolished and forbidden for the text files; short of
> it, all application programs, such as Lynx, ought to provide some
> possibility to opt out of MIME. - "Transmit the 8 bit text and mind
> your own business!"

[...]

>         Like I said, I always kept the ISO Latin 1 specification for Lynx,
> and it worked flawlessly for the transmission of whatever 8 bit text, be
> it 1251 or KOI. Until some people started to comply with MIME and specify
> KOI8-R on the issuing server. I do not think version makes any difference.


>>Resent lynx versions (2.8+) keeps mapping of different character sets and
>>allow automatic translation between "document charset" and "display charset"
>>if they are different, using latin approximations if the display fonts does
>>not have a requested character.

>         I wish they would just leave us alone. Why is it anybody's business
> to stick their nose into the text being transmitted between two or more

That is HTTP protocol, HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 spec,
and we are at different sides if you expect WWW client should violate
HTTP/HTML standards. That is your buisness to live with your problems
if you want to, we just point out that lynx 2.8 and 2.8.1 works properly
for your pages in subject and 'x-transparent' "display charset" dedicated for
your needs.

> consenting adults? Saving those who are drowning is the basic and primary
> responsibility of those who are drowning.

>         MIME recognizes only registered CharSets. Damn it, they ought to
> at least allow an option of choosing "8-bit text, whatever it is".

>         I know how cumbersome and difficult it is to register a set,
> having been involved somewhat in the registration process of koi8-u.
> Also, some time ago, I have put together a charset, which allows the
> simultaneous presence (and the utilisation, obviously) of English,
> French and Ukrainian texts. Now, the community of those who wish to
> communicate using those three languages at the same time in the same
> file, is not all that great. However, if it were not for MIME, which
> often stands in the way and screws things, we would peacefully talk

There is no problem with private communications especially if you want
keeping them cryptic. WWW is another story - page should be served
for any client, that is why compatibility is a key and the standards was
introduced.

BTW, koi8-u was registered last year and can be implemented
in lynx if you want but this is not the case since you doesn't want to check
a recent version anyway.

> to each other, bothering no one.

>         One might say - why not use Unicode. Why not. And why not try
> and kill a frog with a piece of heavy artillery, or a tractor.