Hotmail formatting WTF



  • So, I use Thunderbird and an generic Imap account for email. Michelle uses Hotmail. Michelle sends me HTML email. I reply to her HTML email as plaintext. She replies to my plaintext as plaintext, but look at the HTML goodness I get:

    Mail headers say "Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed", so that means Thunderbird should show the message as-is, but it can reflow it if it wants to, right? Well, That's what Thunderbird does. Only... there's HTML code in the part that Michelle quoted back to me.

    Make up your mind, Hotmail! Send me an HTML message with HTML formatting, or plaintext with plaintext formatting.



  • P. S. Am I the only one left who always sends plaintext email whether
    I'm starting a conversation or continuing one? It's so much easier to
    grep it, takes up less, space, and hell, it's usually more readable!



    </end rant>



  • @Brendan Kidwell said:

    P. S. Am I the only one left who always sends plaintext email whether I'm starting a conversation or continuing one? It's so much easier to grep it, takes up less, space, and hell, it's usually more readable!

    </END rant>

    No, you are not. I am a plaintext fan like yourself.



  • I would be a plaintext email fan if all those mail readers wouldn't
    insist on showing plaintext mail in a big ugly fixed-width font (on
    Windows, usually some flavor of Courier).  Outlook, Thunderbird, everybody does
    this by default.  I send HTML mail for that reason, even though I
    don't use the formatting.



  • Nothing wrong with fixed-width email ;) HTML email is an abomination, IMO.



  • @StillNotTere said:

    I would be a plaintext email fan if all those mail readers wouldn't
    insist on showing plaintext mail in a big ugly fixed-width font (on
    Windows, usually some flavor of Courier).  Outlook, Thunderbird, everybody does
    this by default.  I send HTML mail for that reason, even though I
    don't use the formatting.




    Take back control.



    Change the font for plaintext display.



  • BTW: I can, and do, change it for my own email client.  But if I
    send email in plaintext, it looks ugly to those who don't do that with
    theirs.  I work directly with the users of the software I write,
    so much of my mail is sent to people who don't like to fiddle with
    their computer settings of any sort.



    (I've been asked before to change the font of an email that was sent by
    an automatic script in plaintext.  I did what he asked by changing
    the script to generate HTML email.)



  • If I send a plaintext email, and the software on the other end doesn't know how to display it--properly!--then
    there's a serious usability issue on that end, and frankly, I don't
    give a damn. Lots of list servers and e-commerce systems send plaintext
    email. If you have to fiddle with it to make it display plaintext
    nicely, it's broken.



    And yes, I understand about dealing with clients who won't change their
    settings and
    won't learn. Fortunately I don't have that problem so I can afford to
    be a snob about it. :^)




  • @Brendan Kidwell said:

    P. S. Am I the only one left who always sends plaintext email whether
    I'm starting a conversation or continuing one? It's so much easier to
    grep it, takes up less, space, and hell, it's usually more readable!






    You're not the only one.  There are many of use left (I
    think).  I will not even view an HTML message, unless it has a
    plain-text part, or is reasonably "clean" (i.e. no colorful, large
    letters and images).



        dZ.




  • @StillNotTere said:

    I would be a plaintext email fan if all those mail readers wouldn't
    insist on showing plaintext mail in a big ugly fixed-width font (on
    Windows, usually some flavor of Courier).  Outlook, Thunderbird, everybody does
    this by default.  I send HTML mail for that reason, even though I
    don't use the formatting.




    Is that the only thing keeping you? 
    Dude, just change the display settings of your e-mail client of choice.  Outlook, Thunderbird, everybody has this option.



    Now, welcome to the Plaintext Refuseniks Of The World (tm)!



        -dZ.




  • @StillNotTere said:

    BTW: I can, and do, change it for my own email client.  But if I
    send email in plaintext, it looks ugly to those who don't do that with
    theirs.  I work directly with the users of the software I write,
    so much of my mail is sent to people who don't like to fiddle with
    their computer settings of any sort.



    (I've been asked before to change the font of an email that was sent by
    an automatic script in plaintext.  I did what he asked by changing
    the script to generate HTML email.)




    OMG! Its the first time I've ever heard this!





    HTML-mail-user:
      Argh! Dude! Your (plaintext) e-mail looks ugly, I won't read it!

    Plaintext-mail-user:
      Oh, OK.  I guess I'll just have to use HTML in my messages.



    HTML-mail-user:
      Wow! Large, pink, bold letters -- and animated images, too -- cool! Much better now, thanx!
    HTML-mail-user: You're welcome.





        -dZ.




  • I usually use plain text where I can.



    On the other hand, I don't go all Nazi on people that use HTML mail
    either - I tend to like to keep my non-geek friends and I'm not that
    attached to plain text that I'd snub the hot blonde.




  • I use HTML email just to piss off idiots who can't face the fact that 99% of the world now uses HTML email.

    I bet most of you were the ones using LYNX forever too because images got in the way...

     

    Screw that, it made porn much harder to look at.



  • I read my (personal) mail on a text-only linux terminal. I mail in plain text and see all mails in plain text.

    And I imagine plain text is easier for blind people's speech synthesizers to read...

    Drak



  • Most email programs will send HTML along with a plaintext copy anyway, so it makes no difference.

    BTW, mutt, pine or elm?


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