Re: Accept-Language language tag order

On 2012-06-04 17:49, Gordon P. Hemsley wrote:
> Julian,
>
> Thanks for responding to my message. (I guess it just got through the queue?)

Apparently.

> Anecdotally, a lot of implementations assume that the order of
> language tags in Accept-Language are sorted by order of priority

Which?

> (highest to lowest). And indeed, the major implementations do just
> this.
>
> However, there is currently no requirement that this be the case.
> (And, for backwards compatibility, there cannot be a MUST.)
>
> I think it would be beneficial going forward that implementations sort
> the language tags in this manner, and I think putting a SHOULD in the
> new spec would remind them of this without strictly requiring them to
> do it.
>
> Are there reasons not to do this?

The order is not significant. It never was. If w etry to help broken 
recipients we will break senders that do not sort.

That's a normative change for which I simply see no compelling reason.

Best regards, Julian

Received on Monday, 4 June 2012 17:42:03 UTC