From: Nick Boalch (n.g.boalch@durham.ac.uk)
Date: Sun May 02 2004 - 08:28:03 CDT
Bruce Lilly wrote:
>> Hopefully you will be able to accept that all of the following points
>> are true:
>>
>> (1) Use of "Re: " to initialize the Subject-header of followups is
>> widespread and current behaviour on Usenet.
>
> Perhaps, but that has nothing to do with
> a) defined syntax or semantics
> b) network operations
> and therefore does not belong in documents addressing those
> topics. It might be appropriate for some other document.
Ah, I think we might be confusing each other by arguing about two different
things at the same time: (1) the wording of a section about the initialization
of the Subject-header in followups and (2) whether such a section should be in
this particular document at all.
If we're going to have a section in the draft entitled 'Duties of a followup
agent' then we need to address how it initializes headers; do you not agree?
>> (1.1) When "Re: " is used in this way, it can be referred to as
>> a 'back-reference'.
>
> Possibly in the context of a followup agent, but not in the context
> of a reading agent or (human) reader, which/who has no way of determining
> whether any string is or is not a "back-reference", i.e. the term is
> hopelessly ambiguous.
The fact that the term can be made ambiguous by situational context does not
make the term itself ambiguous. I think it's clear in both Charles's text and
my slight alteration of it what we mean by 'back-reference', so I don't see
that this ambiguity is necessarily a problem.
>> (1.1.1) Other strings are sometimes seen being used as
>> back-references; however, their use causes lots
>> of problems for followup agents constructing
>> Subject-headers according to current practice.
>
> I believe you are confusing followup agents and reading agents. There
> is no problem for followup agents.
I think that there is, in that unrestricted use of unstandardized
back-references makes it more likely there will be a situation where a
Subject-header reads something like 'Re: Ant: Re: Sv: Re: Ant: Re: Foo'.
Cheers,
N.
-- Nick Boalch, Research Student School of Modern European Languages Tel: +44 (0) 191 334 5780 University of Durham Fax: +44 (0) 191 334 5770 New Elvet, Durham DH1 3JT, UK WWW: http://nick.frejol.org/