Brian Kelly's remarks about MIME types is an issue we have addressed
before (as he states in his email, when he refers to our eBulletin MLA
News - although this user was having problems with MCG not MLA).
However the problem is often a bit more complicated in that several
mailservers are involved - not just the one that generates the mail, but
often Message Labs or similar on the outward transit, then JISCMAIL's
servers, then possibly another sheep-dip session before it gets to the
recipient's ISP / network, thence to the mail client itself. Athough the
middle ones should relay without alteration, it is not foolproof and
sometimes they do re-set bits and flags apparently without obvious
reason.
I welcome Brian's attempts to resolve this and would ask that he post
any findings to this list.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Andrea Cordani
Web Manager
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)
Victoria House
Southampton Row
London WC1B 4EA
T: 020 7273 1469 Direct line
M: 07986 439 946
E: [log in to unmask]
W: http://www.mla.gov.uk
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Brian Kelly
Sent: 27 September 2006 13:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MCG] MCG emails getting corrupted
Yes I have the same problem reading the MCG digest, when I use
Thunderbird on my laptop. I think the problem is a configuration
problem/workflow problem at the sender's end.
I mentioned a similar problem (on the MLA-News list) to a colleague a
while ago and this is her response:
That looks very much like malformed email to me.
This is probably a messed up MIME type. All this =20 and =09 stuff is
MIME's Quoted-Printable encoding,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quoted-printable
Quoted-printable encoding is used to transfer 8 bit ASCII into 7-bit
portable ASCII. What is happening here is that Thunderbird is apparently
not recognising the MLA mails as encoded in this manner, and is
therefore displaying them otherwise.
This is almost definitely not due to an error in Thunderbird (although
you can try upgrading if you don't have the latest, it's always possible
that this is a bug) - it is most probably be something to do with the
MLA's mail setup. If you send me the full source of one of these mails,
I'll take a look at it and see if I can work out what's going on.
Brian
---------------------------------------
Brian Kelly
UK Web Focus
UKOLN
University of Bath
BATH
BA2 7AY
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/
Phone: 01225 383943
FOAF: http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ukoln/staff/b.kelly/foaf/bkelly-foaf.xrdf
For info on FOAF see http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ukoln/staff/b.kelly/foaf/
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe Cutting [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 26 September 2006 09:19
> Subject: MCG emails getting corrupted
>
> Did anybody else see Mike's email to the list as
>
> >> From=20a=20systems/technology=20perspective,=20I=20do=20have=2
> 0an=20issue=20=
> with=20the=20statement=20"cheap=20=3D=20sustainable"=20per=20s
> e=20though,=20=
> because=20this=20often=20leads=20organisations=20up=20truly=20
> terrible=20p=
> aths=20where=20quick,=20cheap=20wins=20are=20favoured=20over=2
> 0longer=20te=
> rm=20(I=20would=20argue,=20"sustainable..")=20futures.=20I=20g
> uess=20I'm=20=
> basically=20arguing=20about=20what=20"value"=20means=20here.
> =20
> >>
>
> I get the MCG list as a digest and there's a significant
> minority of messages getting corrupted like this. I've spoken
> to Mike and it seems that he always uses a web mail editor
> for his email and I think this is what is causing the
> problem. If its only me who has this problem then I can
> accept that its not that big a deal - if its happening to
> other people as well then I'm hoping that between us and the
> list moderator we can come up with the solution.
>
> Anyone else seen this problem or have any ideas on a solution?
>
> Best wishes
>
> Joe
>
> P.S. I'm on 4 other lists - none of which have this problem.
> I use Eudora as mail client.
>
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