Subject: bug#68687: [PATCH] Use text/org media type

From: Ihor Radchenko <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:13:47 +0000

Richard Stallman <[email-masked]> writes:

> I am concerned that the actions described above would tend to embed
> Org format and Org mode more deeply into Emacs usage.
>
> Suppose A and B are Org users.  If A knows this, and mails B a message
> which contains text labaled as text/org, that won't make anyone
> unhappy.  No one would have a reason to complain.
>
> But what if C mails a message to D with text labeled as text/org and D
> is not an Org user?  Will that cause Emacs to load Org?  It should
> not.

> What will Gnus do when the user readss a message with text labaled as
> text/org?  What will Rmail do?  What will MH-E do?

It may or may not depending on user customization `mm-inline-media-tests'.
Just like with text/html, application/javascript, text/x-sh, images,
etc.

By default, for example, text/html gets rendered via shr.el (AFAIK). Do
you think that shr.el should not be loaded (in (require 'shr) sense)?

> These are crucial questions because the answers would determine
> whether this feature pressures people to use Org mode or not.  We need
> concrete answers because only that would enable us to see cleary now
> whether the feature would do that if in use.

Even when text/org is rendered using Org mode, there is nothing
pressuring people to use Org mode there. It is just visuals. Org major
mode is not activated.

Also, it is already what Emacs does for text/x-org. This patch is merely
asking to treat text/org as text/x-org is already treated.

> Max Nikulin <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>     Received or fetched Org 
>   > files must be treated with some precautions, but it is another story.
>
> I was not aware of this issue.  Let's look at it concretely now so we
> can determine what its implications are.  Have people already written
> a list of these precautions?  If so, I'd like to see it.

Max is referring to various security issues with evaluating code inside
Org mode buffers. They are known, but not relevant to Org text being
displayed in email MUA - Org never evaluates any code automatically
without user explicitly asking for it. And in MUA, Org mode is simply
used to apply faces. No other interaction with the displayed text/org
mime part is allowed.

-- 
Ihor Radchenko // yantar92,
Org mode contributor,
Learn more about Org mode at <https://orgmode.org/>.
Support Org development at <https://liberapay.com/org-mode>,
or support my work at <https://liberapay.com/yantar92>