February 14, 2001
Untitled
In the midst of all the fun being caused by the latest server-clogging virus running rampant through mail systems around the world, the marketing team behind one of the sites I work on is diving head first into the shallow end of pool. In case you haven’t picked up on it already, I don’t like HTML email. My mail client doesn’t like HTML email. HTML is for web pages. Plain text is for email. Stop trying to make email mimic direct mail. Related to my rant is this comment made today by Mark Hurst over at goodexperience.com:
“Whether from using Outlook or HTML email, complexity in email has its downsides. A simpler email strategy would mean limiting oneself to plain-text — not HTML- email, and (if available) using an alternative email program to Outlook. Doing so would reduce virus threats and increase one’s privacy. Just a thought…”
Regardless of the privacy issues raised by including JavaScript snippets and embedded images, and aside from the potential for unleashing system-crippling viral attacks, HTML email is just too complicated a medium to do consistently well. There are too many people out there who will never see your message the way it was intended. With plain text, there is generally only one way your message can be presented. As words.
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