Subject: MIME code(s) for FITS?

From: dwells (Don Wells)
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 95 14:52:53 EDT

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
<URL:ftp://fits.cv.nrao.edu/fits/traffic/iaufwg/iaufwg.dis> because he
has recently been appointed as the new Chair of the WGAS (North
American) FITS Committee.