From dwells Thu Jun 22 14:52:56 1995 Received: by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-CV/1.8) id AA01152; Thu, 22 Jun 95 14:52:56 EDT Return-Path: Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 14:52:53 EDT From: dwells (Don Wells) Message-Id: <9506221852.AA01142@fits.cv.nrao.edu> To: iaufwg Subject: MIME code(s) for FITS? Sender: iaufwg-request@fits.cv.nrao.edu Dear IAU FITS Working Group members, Various people have asked what MIME [Multi-media Internet Mail Extensions] code they should use for FITS files. This question has become important not because astronomers are wanting to interchange FITS files in the form of Email messages, but because FITS files are being transmitted on the World-Wide-Web using HTTP [HyperText Transfer Protocol], which specifies use of MIME codes (the Content/Type). As a temporary measure, our community can use the code "image/x-fits", where the "x-" implies unofficial, but in the long run we should apply to the IANA [Internet Assigned-Numbers Authority] for a code without the "x-". The obvious possibilities are "image/fits" and "application/fits", and a good case can be made for either of them or, in fact, for _both_ of them. Some weeks ago ago, in response to public and private questions asked about MIME code(s) for FITS, I subscribed to the Email exploder operated by the international group which reviews MIME code applications. My purpose was to become familiar with the process and with the reasoning of the review committee. I am still listening to this traffic, and still learning, but I now feel that I am nearly ready to take action. In my opinion, this MIME code question is one of the few actions which the IAU-FWG could, and probably should, undertake without prior votes in the regional FITS committees. If any of you disagree with me on this point, please communicate with me by private Email. We could certainly go through the usual process of formal proposal and formal votes in regional committees, but I don't think that we would gain anything and the process would certainly be time-consuming. Furthermore, it is my impression that only a few people currently care about this subject. I would like to know whether any of you care about it enough to help me formulate the proposal. Please send me private Email either volunteering to help and/or advise me or else nominating other people to help and/or advise me. I expect to produce a proposal within the next three or four months. This proposal will specify one or more MIME codes which the FITS community wishes to reserve. If IAU-FWG is agreeable, I expect to post the proposal to sci.astro.fits/fitsbits and other places for comment by the whole FITS community. After a suitable time period for discussion, and possibly one or more revision cycles, I expect that IAU-FWG will take a formal vote to approve the final version of the proposal, which I (or Barry Schlesinger) will then submit to IANA. Regards, Don Wells, Chair IAU-FWG PS: I have added Peter Teuben (Univ. Maryland) to the distribution list for IAU-FWG because he has recently been appointed as the new Chair of the WGAS (North American) FITS Committee. From dwells Tue Jun 27 14:45:58 1995 Received: by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-CV/1.8) id AA20501; Tue, 27 Jun 95 14:45:58 EDT Return-Path: Date: Tue, 27 Jun 95 14:45:53 EDT From: dwells (Don Wells) Message-Id: <9506271845.AA20491@fits.cv.nrao.edu> To: wfc, iaufwg, astroweb Subject: OS change scheduled Sender: iaufwg-request@fits.cv.nrao.edu Machine fits.cv.nrao.edu will be changed from SunOS_4 to the Solaris operating system on the morning of Thursday June 29. The machine is scheduled to be taken offline about 0930 EDT (1330 UT). The FITS FTP/Web/WAIS archive, the AstroWeb services and the Email exploders hosted on this machine will be unavailable for at least one hour, and probably for several hours on that day. -- Donald C. Wells Associate Scientist dwells@nrao.edu http://fits.cv.nrao.edu/~dwells National Radio Astronomy Observatory +1-804-296-0277 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903-2475 USA