RE: what does "AW:" mean?

> 3.6.5 says:
> 
> When used in a reply, the field body MAY start with the 
> string "Re: " (from the Latin "res", in the matter of) 
> followed by the contents of the "Subject:" field body of the 
> original message.
> 
> 
> The all upper case MAY is defined in RFC 2119 as:
> 
> 
> This word, or the adjective "OPTIONAL", mean that an item is 
> truly optional. One vendor may choose to include the item 
> because a particular marketplace requires it or because the 
> vendor feels that it enhances the product while another 
> vendor may omit the same item. An implementation which does 
> not include a particular option MUST be prepared to 
> interoperate with another implementation which does include 
> the option, though perhaps with reduced functionality. In the 
> same vein an implementation which does include a particular 
> option MUST be prepared to interoperate with another 
> implementation which does not include the option (except, of 
> course, for the feature the option provides.) 
> 
> 
> I think it's reasonable, accepted, and helpful that certain 
> email programs will localize the prefix to be more meaningful 
> to their users than arbitrarily stuffing a latin prefix on it :)

<delurk>

While I agree with you that it's reasonable, accepted, and helpful, the fact
of the matter is that the practice violates the spec. The OPTIONAL part is
whether or not to include the "Re:"-- the spec, as quoted, does not allow
for substitutions. The solution would be to supercede the spec with another
that specifically allows regional alternatives.

Personally, I hate the way Outlook strips off anything before the first
colon when replying. It's annoying and, more often than not, wrong.

</delurk>

-- 
Mark Thomas
Thomas.Mark@xxxxxxx


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