[plug] HTML mail (partial flame and suggestions)

[Craig Ringer]

On Fri, 2004-10-01 at 17:59, Alex Nordstrom wrote:

>  - Most people who do sent HTML e-mails are not even aware that they are 
> doing so; hence, any advantages it may be perceived to have are not 
> used.

Others know just enough to set a horrifying background colour and an
awful font, without any understanding of the implications of doing so.

>  - HTML is a language to encode primarily structural information about 
> hyperlinked documents inline, yet in e-mails, it is often used for 
> formatting, which is not only incorrect application, but poses a 
> usability threat to the recipient. Furthermore, there is rarely a need 
> to encode structural information in something as brief as e-mail 
> communication.

Sadly, if any lengthy content is involved the user will inevitably
attach a Word document, often feeling that having done this they need
not provide any body text at all.

Ooh, that's a lovely thought. I wonder how long it'll be before spammers
start sending Microsoft Word documents in emails with little or no body
text (nothing useful or descriptive, of course - perhaps just most of a
page of signature). 

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Subject: Information

For your interest.

<proposal.doc>.
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--
Craig Ringer