Subject: Re: IPP> MIME-types and alignment

From: Harry Lewis <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 19:56:16 -0400

I can't tell who originated this mail message...

>To be more precise:
>
>When IPP is being used for transporting a message (document, print
>instructions) from a willing sender to a willing recipient, alignment
>with other widely implemented and deployed Internet protocols for
>message transmission (mail, fax, Web) is more useful than alignment with
>some hypothetical and not widely deployed protocol for system management
>and monitoring of the status of a device.

but the author misrepresents the fact that Printer MIB Interpreter Languages
are enumerated in the MIB and registered with IANA (on recommendation of
the IETF) to support knowledge of the CAPABILITIES and default configuration
of the printer - especially the notion of a default PDL for a print "channel"
or a means of printing to the device. I believe this is similar to the
requirements of IPP. I'm not arguing against MIME registration of PDLs for
IPP (I don't see why we shouldn't facilitate both MIME and enums).

Also, I think characterization of the Printer MIB as not widely deployed
is subjective (and somewhat misinformed) and could be harmful to those who
have worked hard to support this standard if it came from an "IETF official".
If nothing else, it might help explain some of the "jitters" we've seen lately
from the IESG with respect to aligning standards in the world of print.

Harry Lewis

---

From: Larry Masinter <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 17:30:09 PDT

Harry, you must have missed my retraction. Clearly what I meant to say
was that the Printer MIB isn't _as_ widely deployed [as web servers
and browsers and MIME email senders and recipients].

> the author misrepresents the fact that Printer MIB Interpreter Languages
> or a means of printing to the device. 

Since you must be speaking from some better knowledge of the situation,
can you give any examples of clients that actually use the Printer MIB
Interpreter Languages to make some useful decision (as opposed to, say,
just displaying the information)?

Regards,

Larry
-- 
http://www.parc.xerox.com/masinter