1 Thanks ...

Thanks for cutting through the FUD. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who’s sick of table-based HTML email.

On an unrelated note, how do plain-text email clients handle these messages? Or do we still need to send multi-part messages?

posted at 12:16 pm on March 27, 2004 by Nathan

2 Excuse Me?

Why are you sending HTML email?

My mail reader is set not to accept externally linked files not to execute JavaScript as both are security risks.

If you want markup, then please, put a link to the markup in the email, and I’ll go read it if I want.

You don’t seem to understand a fundamental thing, you have no right to demand ‘return receipt’ via log analysis.

posted at 12:28 pm on March 27, 2004 by Bill Humphries

3 Head tags...

I’m sure this is a very newbie question, but if you’re creating a valid XHTML page (embedding the CSS in the head tag, as per usual…) then isn’t there going to be two head tags in web-based browsers?

What I’m confused about, then, is that browsers accept more than one head tag. And style tag, for that matter. Both of which, if I recall correctly, are only supposed to appear once in a document.

So even if you write your XHTML valid, and even if the webmail client is written using valid XHTML, won’t this break either (or both)?

posted at 12:37 pm on March 27, 2004 by Andrew

4 Does NOT work for Outlook Web Access for Exchange

Unfortunately CSS does NOT work AT ALL when using Microsoft Outlook Web Access.
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/owa/

posted at 12:42 pm on March 27, 2004 by huphtur

5 Test, test and re-test

I applaud your efforts to send well designed email, but I think your missing the point here.

Not everyone uses outlook and even those that do can not wait for the day to disable HTML email and read email as plain ASCII text.

Sure, you can test to see what works and what doesn’t in various email clients, but if they have styles and markup disabled chances are they will see a pretty ugly and unreadable email with code all over… that means a negative impact on your prospects or readers… is that really what you want to do?

A simple plain ASCII text email will go miles further than HTML email or even CSS styled email.

I guess this is what happens when people start to push the boundaries of what a protocol is suppose to do much less the will of the end-user.

posted at 01:20 pm on March 27, 2004 by Nick Finck

6 HTML-Email: sometimes users want it

Nick and Mr. Harrumphries:

I think the point here is not whether or not HTML-mail is a good idea, but if you want to do it, how to do so. There is more than one email-newsletter that I subscribe to that is in HTML format. It’s simply more pleasing to read and convenient sometimes.

I agree that foisting HTML-email upon unsuspecting users is bad. But, if you offer them a choice, at least do it right. I have seen so little on this topic and clients seem to want it so much – for opt-in emails.

posted at 01:58 pm on March 27, 2004 by Wazungu

7 dots getting stripped

Having to put
td.Feature can be tiresome

All that you need to do to stop the dots being stripped from the front of class names is put a space in front of them

so
.feature
becomes .feature

posted at 02:27 pm on March 27, 2004 by Brett

8 Great Article...

I believe that your “average” marketing email recipient has no idea that they can change their email settings to plain text.

In my experience with permission-based email marketing, the third option mentioned was worth the effort (because we had a ton of Hotmail addresses in our opt-in list). We would send multi-part messages—the plain text version always included a link to the HTML version. Though the majority received the HTML…knowingly or unknowingly.

It would be intersting to get information on exactly what the average person prefers: HTML or text. Though, like I said, I believe if you stopped the average internet user in the grocery store and asked her that question, she would say, “Huh?”.

Great article, thanks.

posted at 03:55 pm on March 27, 2004 by Hilarie

9 Reno.com Email

Avoid this problem altogether by switching to reno.com email. That’s what I use. The email message can be edited like a word document. Plus HTML will render as source. I myself used Hotmail but was forced to move because they cut off my service. Therefore I became “pianoman@reno.com”.

posted at 05:21 pm on March 27, 2004 by Dante-Cubed

10 HTML in email

Good article. I personally don’t like the idea of mail having more than ASCII text with an attachment, but I do understand that about 80% of users out there send HTML-based email, and this offers some good insight.

I must ask though, with all the problems with AOL, Outlook, etc. Would it be easier to 1) send a PDF that can be controlled perfectly or 2) send a URL for the user to click.

posted at 05:47 pm on March 27, 2004 by CM Harrington

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