[Hudlug] Plain Text emails

[Tim]

Ross Brown wrote:
> Whilst I agree with the basis of your argument, it doesn't work in the
> real world: in the real world people don't use Thunderbird (cause I
> don't particularly want my old mum beta testing software), have no idea
> what a rendering engine is and use the copy of Outlook Express their
> Windows box came bundled with.

Well, outlook express is 6 years old, and it still is flaky around the 
edges.  (especially in its ability to auto run nasty content that people 
may email in)

I haven't used Thunderbird enough to check that it is perfect, but the 
main mozilla mail/news works fine.

A rendering engine is the part of the software that takes the text of 
the message and a style definition, and makes it into the graphics you 
see in the screen.  Including processing the fonts, line wrapping, 
drawing all the individual characters.

> Because it makes the point that, unlike the experts on this list, the
> average person likes to send and receive email that "looks nice".

We send all our emails from this office as plain text now, and find we 
have a much better email relationship with our customers.

> Ignoring some strange logic which says that HTML email is up there with
> spam and viruses as a "problem", I think you'll find your basic premise
> is wrong. People who read email, in the majority of cases, want to
> receive information. If that information is made more-easily digestible
> because it "looks nice" then they'll be a damn sight happier about
> things.

Html doesn't add any look nice.  It adds a complication.  With plain 
text (as Ben said) the end user experience can be adjusted by each 
receiving user so that they see the emails in the way they enjoy (can 
set font, colour, size ).

You can even change the display properties in outlook express.

With html, you get what you are sent.

Emails are emails.  Text on a page.  Not graphical works of art.  Next 
you'll be saying we should send flash files in every message.



Tim
(just thinking about upping the spam points score on incoming html emails)