[NTLUG:Discuss] PlainText Vs HTML

Fred James fredjame at concentric.net
Mon Nov 4 10:47:15 CST 2002


When participating in a list such as this, my feeling is that the best 
approach is for postings to be of the "minimalist" type (detail 
purposely omitted).  To the best of my knowledge, email clients that can 
generate non minimalist content also have the ability to screen outgoing 
messages by addressee, and at least warn the sender of an addressee's 
preferences.  So, any semi-savy user should be able to comply with this 
minimalist ideal without too much effort if they can be convinced to 
make the proper adjustments to their email client preferences.  Being 
unfamiliar with MS IE, I may have to stand corrected on this thought.

That said, other than requesting compliance with this "ideal" of list 
courtesy, I don't know of any meaningful way to "enforce" it, nor am I 
convinced that I would advocate such.  The prime "ideal" is 
communication, and enforcement could proves counter productive.

In my attempts at compliance with the courtesy ideal I recommend, my 
preferences are set to "ask me what to do" for all addressees that are 
not listed as being able to accept HTML, and in my address book, this 
list is checked as preferring "plain text".  I cannot promise that I am 
always successfully followed this directive, nor can I say that I don't 
make mistakes.
You asked - I told - hope this helps more than it harms.

-- 
small is beautiful







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