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, Igor Pechtchanski wrote:

:) We're using the same mailer. :-)  Aside from that, most mailers can be
:) configured to insert newlines automatically, and it's much easier to
:) configure the mailer than to get a GUI browser to wrap lines in
:) <PRE>-formatted documents.

I agree with you on most of your assumptions, it is in the conclusions
where we disagree. When a person sends an e-mail message that person does
not send a web page, what I mean to say is that the conventions about
e-mail practice (mostly those regulated by RFCs) apply, not those about
web browsing. 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.

:)  Besides, even if you look at it in Lynx, you'll see line breaks in
:) weird places, e.g., in the middle of a word.

Yes, you are right, it makes it awkward, but readable still.

:)  I read it through the archives, and so am hit by this problem more
:) than most.

I understand.

:)  I could subscribe to the list and read it via my mail client (pine),
:) but I have reasons for not doing that, and, in the spirit of what you
:) said above, people shouldn't be forced to subscribe if alternate
:) mechanisms are available.

True, the list is also available through gname too, but I agree with this
assumption. I respect your reasons why you do not want to read messages
using a mail program though.

:) FWIW, "Raw Text" doesn't give you a readable version, it gives you a
:) MIME-encoded one (with Content-Type quoted-printable), which is not
:) always the same.

Ok, point taken. In the case of this message, the message is quite
readable too, almost the same as reading it with lynx but with the "="
signs added quite scattered through the text.

:) I've already explained why I don't think format=flowed is appropriate
:) for this list (in particular, long command lines will also be wrapped
:) if it ever were to be accepted).  In any case, the definitive opinion
:) will be that of CGF, and if he says that he doesn't care one way or
:) another, then my opinion will be just that -- an opinion, and not a
:) list custom of any sort.

The default of Pine 4.60 (already out) is to send format=flowed text, so
you will see more flowed text than before. Pine, however, adds these CRs
in its default editor, so you would not have problems if the message was
written with its default editor. Due to the reason why flowed text was
introduced, it is clear that it is going to stay with us (I do have issues
with that format, but I think I am already accepting it as part of my
every day life).

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

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