Andreas Schwab <schwab@linux-m68k.org> writes:

>>
>> Because almost all of my work recepients use Windows and expect only
>> CP1251.
>
> How is that an argument against specifying the correct charset
> explicitly?
>

I can't know charset of everything. If somebody ask me to send him some
cryptic text file (for example, generated by an old local program with
it's own unique charset), I don't want to guess what codepage it
has. Asked. Sent. Finished.

Today I had to pack it into a ZIP archive to ensure integrity.

At least it could be better to specify it by some variable (setq
gnus-default-attachment-charset ...) separately.

>> So 98 % cases my recepients know what they are going to view.
>
> What about the remaining 2%?
>

Well, in a such cases I usually write about codepage in a message
text. I would be happy to use something like

<menu-bar> <Set Attachment Codepage> 
Codepage: adobe-standard-encoding-dos (or "don't specify" if needed)

to explicitly ask Gnus for that. But in 98 % it's just a problem.  And
yes, I usually use Linux and prefer UTF8 for my own Org-Mode notes and
other.

>> Introducing some Gnus ability for other 2 % just create unnecesary
>> problems.
>
> Which problems?
>
Look news://news.gnus.org/gnus.gnus-bug thread 'bug#8070: gnus damages
attached file'

I enclose two reports about that (from aforementioned thread):