RE: HTML formatted email -- MIDRANGE-L

David E,

You seem to be missing one point.  HTML Email is DANGEROUS!

All I have to do is put a link in to a tiny image on my HTTP sever.
Now, when you open the email, I know that you have done so.  If I am a
spamer, then that link would also have your email address embedded in
the link.  Now I know that bolingde@co.rowan.nc.us is a valid email
address.

Now perhaps I include an active x or java applett.  Wonder what kind of
fun I can have then?

And there is another issue.  Many on this list are NOT in the US.  We
(in the US) are spoiled by unlimited bandwidth.  Many companies pay for
bandwidth by the BYTE.  So a plain text email that is only a few
thousand bytes costs them less to download than a 20k HTML formatted
email with a pretty background, fancy fonts, etc that to me HIDE most
of the content.  Evidenced by JT's HTML post earlier in the Elvis has
Left the room post.

And of course, not everybody is on a T1/DSL/Cable modem.  In fact, they
are doing pretty good to connect at 24kbps over a dialup modem.

And then there are the truly high tech folks who have a Kyocera
Palm/Phone (absolutely love mine!) that only connects to the Internet
at 14.4kbps.  Or a Palm VIIIx at only 9.6kbps.

So bandwidth does matter.  Maybe not for you, but for much of the
world.

JMHO,
Bob Crothers

PS:  Sorry to pick on you jt...but your post was a pretty good example
of an overly formatted message...perhaps on purpose?  No offense
intended.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Boling, David E.
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 2:14 PM
To: 'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
Subject: RE: HTML formatted email


> there's zero reason to use HTML and good reason to avoid it

Opinion stated as fact! I would usually rather receive a screen shot,
then
text that has been cut and pasted and is now unreadable because it
ended up
on one line or some other weird formatting error.  A picture is still
worth
a thousand words whether it's a network diagram, a computer (as/400)
part,
printable form or flowcharts, etc.  Even color text, underlining and
bold
can be a reading aid if used correctly.  It's true that most of the
AS/400
world is still text based and as such can be described with text, that
however is changing with more GUI programs and tools.  I personally
would
rather be shown a pic of a Ops Nav (or other GUI) item than be told the
text
instructions on how to find things.

<very big snip>

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