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  • Subject: RE: HTML formatted email
  • From: "Boling, David E." <bolingde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 10:22:56 -0400

Chris, I get the HTML mail, it's the others that don't.

I guess my first point is, that if you can't receive HTML mail you already
have a work around (stripper, reformat program, whatever) or otherwise your
not able to read a great deal (most?) of the email being sent in the world
already.  I can easily strip HTML out of an email, but the reverse wouldn't
accomplish anything.

We do broadcast TV programs to radio all the time, with is then stripped of
the images.  Much like  HTML being stripped of formatting for a text user.
Which leads to my second point...We didn't stop T.V. from being used because
some people only had a radio.

 >:)

David Boling (bolingde@co.rowan.nc.us)
Information Systems Director
Rowan County Information Systems Department


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Rehm [mailto:javadisciple@earthlink.net]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 12:57 AM
To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject: Re: HTML formatted email


I had to comment re. NS 6.1.

It's a beta, of course, but the reason I dumped it was it mangled my email
files. I discovered that sometimes when I went to read old emails because I
needed to clip a quote or grab a url, the email stored didn't match the
header displayed. This bothered me when I discovered junk emails that I
thought had been deleted were stored under the headers of emails I had
wanted to keep.

I mention this because it can be a danger to people who (like me) keep their
emails sorted by the information they contain for future reference.

About the HTML formatted email, there are lots of very good reasons for
using HTML emails. The foolishness of calling HTML emails "fluff" or "pretty
pictures" ignore the world of graphic information delivery and
interpretation. Even if all that could be achieved was a more pleasant
format, that alone would be good reason to use it, as it surely is a benefit
to have emails that are more pleasant to read.

What is annoying is that some people who use HTML based email do it just to
be using it. Their "special" emails show up with poor formatting,lousy font
selection, light colored text on light colored background, and many other
problems. There are some of these people emailing here on this list who
apparently have no clue as to what their emails look like when received or
they are perhaps _trying_ to look annoying or incompetent.

HTML is a great tool for providing well formatted text that is easier and
more pleasant to read. But only if the user has some clue of how to do that.

The more important issue is that here in this group there are readers who
cannot wade through the html or find it difficult to do so. If a person
writing a message really intends to make it easier to read and to more
clearly deliver his/her message, then they would take into account the fact
that using HTML in this setting just makes them seem more obtuse. Otherwise,
it would appear the sender is just trying to look like someone who has fancy
HTML more than they are trying to deliver a message.

You don't keep broadcasting TV images to people with radio receivers just
because TV is a better format.

David might be able to solve this by getting a mail handling program that
checks mime types and strips the HTML ones. Most emailers which support HTML
will allow the user to send in BOTH HTML and text format in the same
message. Usually, the receiving emailer would select which to view, ignoring
the format it cannot handle. Since this is obviously not happening it could
be that David could implement a package that strips the HTML type from the
message before forwarding and before archiving.

Then maybe we could all quit whining about what our messages look like and
get back to complaining about the drivel they contain.

----- Original Message -----
From: <thomas@inorbit.com>
To: <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 8:30 PM
Subject: RE: HTML formatted email


> David:
>
> On Thu, 19 July 2001, "Boling, David E." wrote:
>
> > > there's zero reason to use HTML and good reason to avoid it
> >
> > Opinion stated as fact!
>
> Oooops, my bad. Sorry. I should've qualified that with something like
"...e-mail that is sent to untold numbers [of recipients] with unknown
capabilities [in their e-mail clients],...".
>
> Oh... wait a minute... I _did_ qualify that. But you decided to ignore it.
>
> >                 A picture is still worth
> > a thousand words whether it's a network diagram, a computer (as/400)
part,
> > printable form or flowcharts, etc.
>
> Sure, sure, and "A thousand pictures can be drawn from a word..."
>
> >
> > >I'm using Netscape 6.1 Preview Release 1 right now, hardly an
incompetent
> > browser;
> >
> > Debatable, I moved from Netscape products totally after having used 6.1
for
> > a short period.
>
> Since 6.1 is only out in preview and has only been publicly available a
short time, it's hardly possible to make a decision yet. But I've seen
nothing in it yet that's an issue. (6.0 & 6.01, OTOH, sent me back to 4.7x
as fast as I could go.)
>
> > Wouldn't it be "ignoring etiquette not to mention established
guidelines"
> > NOT to use HTML email if the charter and moderator states otherwise?
>
> No disagreement here.
>
> > I understand about non-html mail users, problems with digest, non-html
> > capable list servers, formatting and security issues, but I don't see
these
> > as insurmountable.  Neither do I see the problem in members stating
opinions
> > (I've read enough) or questioning the status quo.
>
> Again no disagreement.
>
> > yes, technology doesn't move as fast in this arena as others, but all
lists
> > (and all email as well) will be HTML (or what ever is newer) formatted
one
> > day.  Most people have the common sense to use HTML without hurting
> > themselves or others.
>
> Agreed.
>
> Your original comments came across as "We're technologically aware, so
let's use the tools of technology." I believe we do as a group. But the
sentiment cannot be taken to extremes. Breakpoints need to be set along the
path.
>
> Following along that path implies such as "ActiveX is cool and lets us do
great technical stuff. We should all enable ActiveX all the time. And we
should turn on all scripting options because JavaScript as another advanced
technique as are other active scripting features. And make sure macros can
execute because they're also technology examples."
>
> I'm sure you don't have those sentiments, but your initial "We are
PROGRAMMERS" post left that implication wide open for the reader.
>
> Tom Liotta


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