[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Status of UTF-8 Debian changelogs



On Thu, Jun 05, 2003 at 10:40:07PM +0200, Josip Rodin wrote:
> On Thu, Jun 05, 2003 at 02:58:12PM -0400, Colin Walters wrote:
> > The problem is that we have no way to know what encoding an individual
> > Debian Changelog entry is in.

> The problem is that my point entirely flew over your head. The point was,
> as usual, that Policy is not designed to be a stick to beat people with,
> and that it does not have to precede implementation.

> You can already complain at people who use e.g. Latin 1 in changelogs. Once
> a released version of the Policy manual gets a shiny and bright new sentence
> saying "Use Unicode" (just in a roundabout, somewhat patronizing kind of
> way), the only thing that will change is that if someone complains at people
> who use UTF-8 in changelogs, a new retort will be available, "THE POLICY
> MADE ME DO IT!!1!", or similar.

Common sense already dictates that untagged, non-ASCII characters should
not be used in documents that must be parsed in a multilingual
environment (e.g., the planet Earth).  Specifying UTF8 as an encoding
for changelogs is to *permit* something which is desirable but not
sensibly achievable in the absence of a policy for it.

I'm more than happy to beat people for using non-UTF8 characters in
changelog with the stick I'm currently holding -- no need to roll up
Policy for this purpose. ;)

-- 
Steve Langasek
postmodern programmer

Attachment: pgpThC4kKfWUx.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: