META: message encoding/MIME types

[VirginSnow at vfemail.net]

> From: bruce.labitt at autoliv.com
> Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 14:13:01 -0400

> Content-Type: text/plain;
> 	charset="US-ASCII"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
> 
> SSBoYXZlIGEgc3dpdGNoIGJldHdlZW4gdGhlIHR3byBjb21wdXRlcnMgSSBhbSB0cnlpbmcgdG8g
> aW50ZXJjb25uZWN0LiBUaGUgDQpyZW1vdGUgY29tcHV0ZXIgY29tZXMgdXAgYXMgZ2lnLUUuICBU

<SNIP>

> Content-Type: text/html;
> 	charset="utf-8"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
> 
> DQo8YnI+PGZvbnQgc2l6ZT0yIGZhY2U9InNhbnMtc2VyaWYiPkkgaGF2ZSBhIHN3aXRjaCBiZXR3
> ZWVuIHRoZSB0d28gY29tcHV0ZXJzDQpJIGFtIHRyeWluZyB0byBpbnRlcmNvbm5lY3QuICZuYnNw

<SNIP>

What do we think about standardizing the transfer encoding types used
for messages sent to this list?

/me squints expectantly at Ben...

Encodings like quoted printable are more or less readable in text-only
mail clients.  But lately this list has been seeing things like the
above message... in base64 encoded text/HTML.

What do you all think?  Maybe I'm the only one using a text-based mail
client.  These days, it wouldn't surprise me.  On the other hand,
maybe someone on this list knows some tips I could use to learn how to
decode base64 in my head. :D