MIME (Multipart Internet Mail Extensions) is an Internet mail standard
which defines the mechanisms which enable the sender of an email message
to include message components in a format other than simple ASCII text
(text/plain, in MIME parlance). For all the dirty details, see RFC 1341
<http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1341.txt>.

It is not necessary to explicitly attach a file to a message in order to
create a message that includes MIME headers. Most GUI email clients are
configured, by default, to send messages in both text/plain and text/html
format. The user of a GUI email client might send a message which includes
fancy fonts, cutesy colors, and even a bilious background. This will result
in a multipart message that includes both a text/plain version of the
message and a text/html version of the message, seperated by MIME headers.
Recipients using text-only email clients will see the entire message,
including the MIME headers and the HTML, but will find the text/plain
version of the message near the top, immediately following the message
headers. Recipients using HTML-capable email clients will not see the
text/plain version of the message, or the MIME headers, but they will
see the message in all its gaudy glory.

Some people use text-only email clients, either by choice or because they
have no choice, some people pay for Internet access by the minute or the
byte or both, and some mail servers have limited storage capacity. In my
not so humble opinion, it is both arrogant and rude to send anything other
than text/plain email, unless you are absolutely certain that doing so
will not result in any inconvenience or needless cost for any of the
recipients of the message.

--
Paul Russell
Senior System Administrator
University of Notre Dame


On Tue, 14 May 2002 11:47:25 -0500, Russ Hicks <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
>After much delay and confusion I read a post from Ben Parker on 4/19
>(BEFORE my problem) which said in part...
>
>>there is a long known issue of banners seeming to disappear when MIME
messages
>>are sent.  Due to the technical nature if how MIME messages are formed the
>>banners are added outside of the MIME boundary areas and thus cannot be
seen
>>in most mail clients.  This problem has been corrected in the forthcoming
1.8e
>>release of LISTSERV.  In fact, separate banners can be defined for
plain-text
>>and HTML messages.
>
>That adds even more mud to the waters.  Say what?  MIME messages?  Am I
>supposed to understand what a MIME message is?  And what to do when I get
>(or send) one?  I'm a newbie to this kind of stuff.  Is that an answer to a
>different problem than I have?  Help!
>