Re: Digests

[Michelle Dick <artemis @ rahul . net>]

Per wrote:
>
> Now the digests are "standard" digests not only following RFC 1153
> but also MIMEd with "Content-Type: multipart/digest" etc.
> ...
> (Most of my subscribers are not very computer literate.)
> 
> What are your experience with this?  Is it really an advantage with
> properly constructed digests, or do too many people out there only get
> problems with them that they can't cope with?

There are two formatting issues here and only one of them is causing a
problem for your subscribers.  Standard digest formating and MIME.
MIME formating (not required in any RFC) is the sole cause of your
subscribers' problems.

Yes, it is their mailer's fault, yes they can probably change their
mailers to be more friendly with text-only digests, but, as you say
they are "not very computer literate".

I had MIME digests.  Once.  For a very short time.  The hue and cry
was tremendous. My membership is also not computer savvy as a whole.

But, do keep the other digest standards -- that lets people use
undigesters on their end if they wish.  And the truely computer savvy
people can use procmail and insert the little "Content-xxx" mime
headers if they really want mime digests.

Others on this list have suggested having two lists, one mime, one
not.  Since the only thing mimeish I add to my digest is the little
headers at the top of the message, I see no reason to have two in my
case.  Let the computer savvy subscriber add it -- my digest
formatting is otherwise mime-friendly.

--
Michelle Dick       artemis@rahul.net       East Palo Alto, CA
          Owner, FATFREE Vegetarian Mailing List