[HPFGU-OTChatter] Way OT: Formating in messages.

[Shaun Hately]

On 5 Mar 2004 at 22:25, Steve wrote:

> If it works, it sure could come in handy for emphasizing point in a
> post, or making a greater distinction between various people being quoted.

Seriously, the use of html in e-mails is a really bad idea on any 
e-mail list because virtually every type of e-mail program used 
handles html formatting in a different way - so when you use it, it 
will often only appear the way you intend it to on systems which 
use exactly the same e-mail program and the same settings you use.

HTML should only be used in e-mails if you are sending the message 
to someone you know can handle such e-mails. Some e-mail programs 
simply cannot handle html, many many handle html badly.

Now, Yahoogroups *does* allow html formatting on lists if the list 
administrators want it - it's allowed it for years now - most 
admins turn it off, because it really is a very bad idea on any 
large group - but there hasn't been any change in policy, it's 
always been up to the list administrators.

At some stage in the future, when e-mail protocols are rewritten, 
it's probably that some rich text option will be written into those 
protocols and at that point, most e-mail programs may start 
handling things in the same way, and this might become practical - 
but it probably won't be html as it is pretty wasteful of 
bandwidth.




Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
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