Re: sending text or html mail

I think the advantages of HTML e-mail are pretty obvious. Fonts, colors, graphics, etc... less obvious are the disadvantages. For info about that, please see the ASCII Ribbon campaign's home page:
http://www.asciiribbon.org/

One argument that they left out, though, is spam. HTML e-mail is much more likely to be spam (because HTML makes it easier for spammers to obscure words that would be blocked by anti-spam filters.) I'm sure you won't actually send spam -- but many sites score your messages as "more likely to be spam" if they are HTML messages. By itself, HTML won't throw your message into their junk folders, but it might be just enough to tip it over the edge.

I would add that it's possible to write e-mail messages that have "alternative" formats. Which is to say, it has both HTML and text versions of the e-mail body, and the reader can choose the one he prefers. That way, you don't have to worry about people using text-only terminals and/or blind people with text-reading machines. If you provide both formats, they'll be able to read your messages from the plain-text version.

Personally, I use HTML where graphics, colors & fonts would add something significant to the message. In places where I can convey the same thing without HTML, I do.


On 11/4/2010 11:37 AM, Jim Franz wrote:

Even though this is about an iSeries app sending email - it seems a pc tech question about the format of the mail.

Have been asked to "jazz up" the text emails a customer sends to clients.
Currently sending text mail.
These customers could have any number of clients.
I see lots of text email and I see lots of html mail with graphics, and some with both.
Any opinion, and is there some basic html code that email clients should not throw up on?

Jim Franz