ISSUE-104: Clarify that mime type sniffing is optional

sniffing-optional

Clarify that mime type sniffing is optional

State:

CLOSED

Product:

HTML 5 spec

Raised by:

Julian Reschke

Opened on:

2010-02-18

Description:

Escalated from: http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=7744

The spec currently delegates this issue to the MIMESNIFF spec.

Problems with that:

- that spec is a moving target and currently has no owner except the author (it's an Internet Draft without WG nor with a clear plan how to proceed)

- it's unnecessarily complicated to find out whether sniffing is required or not

- the links in HTML5 aren't particularly helpful because they just point to the MIMESNIFF spec in total, not particular sections

Repeating the link five times without any annotation also doesn't help (see http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=7744#c22)

Larry Masinter has made a proposal for changed text in http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=7744#c25:

"The Content-Type metadata of the result of fetching a representation from a
resource depends on the URI scheme and corresponding protocol. However, there
are some circumstances where additional heuristics (overriding the protocol
defaults) are needed for compatibility with current web sites. Guidelines for
determining an appropriate content-type to presume are being developed
elsewhere [MIMESNIFF]; in particular, user agents MUST NOT use additional
heuristics or override authoritative metadata in ways that are not explicitly
allowed."

HTML5-SPEC-SECTIONS [content-type-sniffing]

Related Actions Items:

No related actions

Related emails:

1. {agenda} HTML WG telecon 2012-09-20: Responsive images, Appcache, ISSUE-104, ISSUE-30, TPAC, HTML5.0 draft plan (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2012-09-19)
2. Re: Request to open new issue to expand longdesc (was Re: hypothetical question on longdesc) (from laura.lee.carlson@gmail.com on 2012-04-10)
3. Minutes of HTML WG meeting, Apr 8 2010 (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-04-08)
4. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-04-08: calls for proposals, issue status (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-04-07)
5. Re: Reminder of Change Proposal deadlines today (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-04-06)
6. Reminder of Change Proposal deadlines today (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-04-05)
7. [minutes] 2010-04-01 HTML Teleconference (from rubys@intertwingly.net on 2010-04-01)
8. Re: {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-04-01: action items, decision policy update, issue status (from shelley.just@gmail.com on 2010-03-30)
9. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-04-01: action items, decision policy update, issue status (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-03-30)
10. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-04-01: action items, decision policy update, issue status (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-03-30)
11. [minutes] 20100325 HTML teleconference (from plh@w3.org on 2010-03-30)
12. Re: {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-03-25: decision policy, issue status, updates from meetings, task force reports (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-03-24)
13. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-03-25: decision policy, issue status, updates from meetings, task force reports (from rubys@intertwingly.net on 2010-03-24)
14. Re: Breakdown of issues (from rubys@intertwingly.net on 2010-03-12)
15. Breakdown of issues (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-03-12)
16. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-03-08)
17. [minutes] HTML WG 2010004 (from plh@w3.org on 2010-03-04)
18. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from julian.reschke@gmx.de on 2010-03-04)
19. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from w3c@adambarth.com on 2010-03-03)
20. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-03-03)
21. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from w3c@adambarth.com on 2010-03-03)
22. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-03-04: actions, publications, decision policy, issues (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-03-03)
23. {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-03-04: actions, publications, decision policy, issues (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-03-03)
24. Re: ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from julian.reschke@gmx.de on 2010-03-03)
25. ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Chairs Solicit Proposals (from rubys@intertwingly.net on 2010-03-03)
26. Subject: {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-02-25: actions, issues, publication (from mjs@apple.com on 2010-02-24)
27. RE: {agenda} HTML WG telcon 2010-02-18: actions, issues, publication (from Paul.Cotton@microsoft.com on 2010-02-18)
28. [Bug 7744] Is sniffing required? (from bugzilla@wiggum.w3.org on 2010-02-18)
29. ISSUE-104 (sniffing-optional): Clarify that mime type sniffing is optional [HTML 5 spec] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2010-02-18)

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