[ietf-dkim] Re: Use of LWSP in ABNF -- consensus call

[Charles Lindsey]

On Fri, 18 May 2007 17:37:54 +0100, Douglas Otis <dotis at mail-abuse.org>  
wrote:

> On May 18, 2007, at 6:03 AM, Charles Lindsey wrote:
>>
>> Well do we know exactly how much Babel there is?
>
> John Leslie published this list on the IETF reflector:
>

Of which only the following three make normatice use of LWSP as defined in  
RFC2434 or its precursors:

> rfc2530 refs rfc2234

The reference is exceedingly vague as to how the LWSP is to be used

> rfc3501 refs rfc2234

which just says "don't use LWSP here"

> rfc4646 refs rfc2434

which is apparently about to be 'bis'ed.

I think we are agreed that future use of LWSP is, at the very least, to be  
deprecated. The above analysis is almost sufficient to go further and  
remove it entirely, on the grounds of non-use together with problematic  
effects.

> Deprecating LWSP would not _remove_ or _redefine_ this macro.

Indeed. However, we could follow the lead of RFC 2822 and remove the  
defiition of LWSP to a separate "obsolete" section, with the provision  
that its use MUST be accepted (by existing RFCs, which is at most the  
three above), but MUST NOT be generated (by new RFCs).

-- 
Charles H. Lindsey ---------At Home, doing my own thing------------------------
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