If the value in a HTML-form-field (input-tag; type=hidden) is an
HTML-Entitie (like " or > etc.)
these Entities are converted to their real meenings (", > etc.)
automatically, when you use the variablees in a Script after sending.

This should NOT be!

In an input-field TYPE=TEXT it IS NOT!

The metthod (GET or POST) does'nt matter.

Test Script: (look at source HTML-Source) after button is clicked.
----8<--------
<form method=get action=<? echo $PHP_SELF; ?>>
<input type=hidden name=test value="&auml;">
<input type=submit value=TEST>
</form>

<?
if (isset($test)) {
echo "\$test (normal HTML) : $test<br>";
str_replace("&","&amp;",$test); //convert "&" to "&amp" to display &auml;
echo "\$test ( Plaintext ) : $test (should be: &amp;auml;)";
}
?>      
----->8-------