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From: "Mark A. Walters" <MWalters@Grci.com>
Subject: Re: WARNING: Control Codes
Date: 1996/07/30
Message-ID: <31FDA611.741D@Grci.com>#1/1
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references: <4tdmr9$2eb@orm.southern.co.nz>
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Colin Douthwaite wrote:
> 
> ===================================================================
> 
>                                WARNING
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> PLEASE do *NOT* post Colour, Color, Control or Animation Codes to
> ASCII-ART newsgroups - or indeed ANY Internet newsgroup.
> 
> It can cause an awful lot of trouble on Net systems worldwide.
> 
> If you wish to post Raw Code then UUENCODE it first !
> 
> Colour & Color Control Codes in subject titles and headers should be
> avoided entirely.
> 
> ====================================================================
> 
> Please do NOT post Colour & Color Control Codes in message headers
> and titles.
> 
>      The problems are due to some Net software recognising the
>      Raw Code as commands which make the software do unwanted
>      things and can even cause a system to crash.
> 
> This message is being reposted frequently because many newcomers
> to the Net do not seem to know the problems caused by Control Codes.
> 
> ====================================================================


... How so?  Since only 7-bit ASCII is accepted in Internet mail and 
newsgroups, wouldn't posting 8-bit ASCII (binary, control codes) just 
be interpreted as gibberish?  How could posting something on a newsgroup 
cause someone's system to crash?  

If making systems worldwide crash were just a matter of posting the right 
"codes" then I think it would be happening a lot more frequently.

Are there any system administrators out there who could shed some light 
on this?


<Mark Walters>
--