code in a few messages?

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Prof Steven P Hill wrote:

> Dear colleagues:
> 
> In the past couple of days on my poor old computer, a few messages 
> posted on SEELANGS are appearing in an indecipherable code.   But 
> most messages are appearing completely legibly.   And I should add 
> that for many, many months now, if memory serves, every single message 
> on SEELANGS has appeared legibly.  -- UNTIL, that is,  the past couple 
> of days, when a few messages were displayed in "code."   E.g., In today's 
> 14 total messages,  the 3 "coded" messages come from Paul Gallagher [2] 
> and Michael Denning [1] -- attached below, from SEELANGS "index.")
> 
> Has anyone else noticed these occasional "coded" messages popping 
> up on SEELANGS in the past few days?  (But none previously, for a very 
> long time)?

Most people limit their subject lines to plain-vanilla ASCII for the 
reason you note -- there are still some legacy programs (even a few on 
mail servers!) that don't know how to deal with anything else.

> Index  Date  Size Poster and subject 
> 
> 025051 04/10   32 From:    "Paul B. Gallagher" <paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM> 
>                  Subject: Re: маÑ.еÑ.иалÑ.но-Ñ.еÑ.н иÑ.еÑ.каÑ. 
>                           база 

This subject was in Unicode, which Webmail Mirapoint Direct 3.4.8-GR 
doesn't know how to interpret. It was in response to a message from 
Steve Marder, which should also have appeared as "code" because the 
subject line was in Windows-1251 encoding.

> 025054 04/10   83 From:    Michael Denner <mdenner at STETSON.EDU> 
>                  Subject: Re: ÍÁÔÅÒÉÁÌØÎÏ-ÔÅÈÎ ÉÞÅÓËÁÑ ÂÁÚÁ 
> 
> 025057 04/10   79 From:    "Paul B. Gallagher" <paulbg at PBG-TRANSLATIONS.COM> 
>                  Subject: Re: ÍÁÔÅÒÉÁÌØÎÏ-ÔÅ ÈÎÉÞÅÓËÁÑ ÂÁÚÁ 

These two subjets were in KOI8-R, which Webmail Mirapoint Direct 
3.4.8-GR doesn't know how to interpret.

This is likely to happen more and more often as the older ASCII-only 
programs fade into extinction. I recommend you upgrade to a modern 
program (there are many good choices). The benefit will be that you can 
discuss Slavic subjects with other Slavophiles without having to resort 
to transcription, transliteration, or other distortions.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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