Re: [TCLUG:11730] HTML email on a list?

[^chewie <chewie@wookimus.net>]

On Thu, 30 Dec 1999, Thomas Veldhouse wrote:

> HTML is nice because you can underline and other wise format instead of
> !!!WOW!!! kind of strange and non-standardized replacements.  HTML is nice
> for alot of things and it makes it much easier to get you meaning across
> in few words - which is the trend of email - fewer words.

Oh, yeah. The '*' for bold face or CAPS for emphasis is very difficult to
do.  I can see your point.  

You might try to use the argument, "but I can put hyperlinks in the email
so people can use their mousie to open their browser automatically."  Yes,
you can, but you can also just type in http://<sitename>.  Many email
clients can recognize and "hyperlink-ify" these common strings.  (Notice
my "mailto:" string below.)

> To answer your first question, yes, I am "friggin" nuts.  Does that change
> your opinion of me?

I thought I stated what my opinion of you was. ;-)  Want me to reitterate?
"You're friggin nuts!"

The truth of the matter is that email is a primative document exchange for
a reason, it's simple.  It's designed to be that way.  Text takes less
time to download than graphics.  Text documents do not need to be
interpreted by software for the viewer to understand it.  Common email
tags such as the '*' are just that, common, and universally understood, or
at least easily understood.  I see no reason to rewrite the entire email
infrastructure to satisfy a few people who want to use a horribly designed
mark up language to implement boldface and underlines, embed hyperlinks or
add a stationary background to their email.

It's great for private email between two users who agree that it's great.
It sucks for email lists where people can't regulate what type of email
they receive.

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Chad Walstrom                         mailto:chewie@wookimus.net 
a.k.a ^chewie, gunnarr               http://wookimus.net/~chewie

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