North American Network Operators Group
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Re: Hi

  • From: Randy Bush
  • Date: Wed Dec 12 09:57:57 2001 
> I'm sure this is not what you meant, but I have noticed recently
> that many less-technically-inclined people seem to think that "the
> attachment" is the dangerous thing, almost as if the "technology of
> attachments" is somehow flawed and risky.

i think it is

   flawed - mime does not make things compatible, but rater codifies
   incompatibility.  the sender things that, because they can send it,
   the receiver can understand it.

   risky - as it allows encapsulation of executables, and the masses
   do not understand the concept, it opens up a channel to deeper in
   some recipients' systems than these naive users may be aware.  but
   like other tools, the misuse is not in the tool, but the mis-user.
   otoh, the user could be better warned, and the toolmaker could
   make the default installation safer for the recipient.

randy