mutt alternates command

[Mike M <no-linux-support@earthlink.net>]

Hi,

I just switched from mutt 1.3 on woody to 1.5 on Sid.  I bumped
into the change from 

set alternates="foo | bar" 

to 

alternates "foo | bar"

described in this thread:

http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2004/06/msg00150.html

(ooooooh, highlighting on the links :-)

The change fixed the problem.

Two questions resulted with no satisfying Googles:

1. _Why_ was the changed needed/supplied?  I found some 
   bug report but I couldn't understand it.

2. What's the proper way to read /usr/share/doc/mutt/NEWS.Debian.gz?

   I used:
   # cd /usr/share/doc/mutt/
   # gunzip NEWS.Debian.gz
   # vi NEWS.Debian

   It worked but it seems there should be some sort of tool.

-- 
Mike