title: Storing binary data in UTF-8 string
body: <p>I want to use a WebSocket to transfer binary data, but you can only use WebSockets to transfer UTF-8 strings.</p>
  
  <p>Encoding it using base64 is one option, but my understanding is that base64 is most desirable when your text might be converted from one format to another. In this case, I know the data will always be UTF-8, so is there a better way of encoding binary data in a UTF-8 string without paying base64's 33% size premium?</p>
  
  <p>This question is mostly academic, as binary support will probably be added to WebSocket eventually, and base64 is a perfectly cromulent alternative in the meantime.</p>