I have noticed a problem that is affecting the Listerv list I manage.

If a message is posted using the list's web interface, it is posted in
quoted-printable format.  A consequence of this is that all equals sign
characters ('=') in the message are converted to an encoded equivalent
('=3D'), regardless of whether any other part of the message requires
encoding.

This is not usually a problem for users who receive these e-mail
messages individually, as the message header will indicate that it is
encoded in quoted-printable format and their e-mail client will decode
all encoded characters and display the message as it was originally
composed.

However, our list is an announcements-style list and almost all
subscribers are set to receive plain-text daily digests (the default
list setting).

Plain-text digests include the content of individual quoted-printable
format messages in their encoded form.  But because the digest e-mail
itself is sent as a 'plain-text' e-mail, rather than
'quoted-printable', a recipient's e-mail client will not usually
perform any decoding of quoted-printable encoded characters within the
digest e-mail, and will display the character encodings instead.

This can lead to formatting problems and confusing message content
(e.g. the text 'A+B=C' ends up displayed as 'A+B=3DC'), but it is a
particular problem when a post contains URLs which include query
strings, e.g. the URL:

  <http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A0=LSTOWN-L>

would appear as:

  <http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa.exe?A0=3DLSTOWN-L>
                                                ^^^

and therefore not work if a recipient tries to visit the link.

This problem does not occur if a message is posted via a plain-text
e-mail.  However, we need to use the web interface to post to our list
to avoid some issues with our e-mail system.

I assume that this a known issue.  Does anyone have any suggestions for
a way around this problem (especially when it comes to URLs)?

I've looked at changing the digest mode to MIME format, but this is not
really suitable, since, in a number of e-mail clients, messages appear
as individual attachments to an otherwise blank e-mail, and I think
this would confuse many of our recipients.

I think this is something that should really be fixed at the Listserv
side, since including quoted-printable encoded content directly in a
plain-text e-mail seems broken to me.  Perhaps either the Listserv web
posting interface should post in plain-text format rather than
quoted-printable (or the format be user-selectable), or the digest
e-mail should be sent in quoted-printable format (plain-text messages
within the digest would probably need to be encoded as
quoted-printable, though).

Regards,
-- 
Geoff Tabbron, Electronic Information Manager, Education UK Marketing
British Council, Bridgewater House, 58 Whitworth St, Manchester M1 6BB
T: +44 (0)161 957 7484    E  : <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
F: +44 (0)161 957 7561    WWW: <http://www.BritishCouncil.org/eumd>