Subj : Re^4:  Directly include binary data in messages
To   : Wilfred van Velzen
From : Tim Schattkowsky
Date : Thu Feb 24 2022 03:19 pm

//Hello Wilfred,//

on *24.02.2022* at *12:32:20* You wrote in Area *FTSC_PUBLIC*
to *Tim Schattkowsky* about *"Re^3:  Directly include binary data in messages"*.

TS>> It is my belief (in line with some of the points brought up recently),
TS>> that the fidonet infratstucture should be improved (also on the software
TS>> side) to

TS>> - make large messages (in the order of magnitude of up to a few MB) a
TS>> non-issue for most users,

TS>> - enable embedding of images and (small) binary data in messages in a
TS>> compatible way,

TS>> and later on

TS>> - enable private communication between endpoints (i.e., encrypted
TS>> authenticated netmail)

TS>> - maybe support (well-defined?) HTML mail (quite debateable) or the
TS>> like

WvV> This already exists. It's called email. ;)

Fully agree, but that probably wont help fidonet users (other than moving them away). It might make sense to consistently apply exactly these technologies (MIME messages with HTML text, encryption ...) also for fidonet, in particular also for improving echo mail capabilities.

For private messages, there is little sense in competing with email. Surely fidonet netmail is not going to replace email during the next 5 years. However, it makes a lot of sense to provide comparable capabilities just to enable users to make consistent use of netmail and echomail while having basic capabilities that are just not worse than email 20 years ago. Currently thats not remotely the case.

Regards,
Tim

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* Origin: Original WinPoint Origin! (2:240/1120.29)