Some tips and information about e-mail
I get a lot of e-mails from people who are probably using Outlook Express and
have the program set, either intentionally or by default, to send HTML e-mail.
HTML e-mail sent by Outlook Express can only be read as HTML if the recipient
is also using Outlook Express.
If the recipient is using some other e-mail program, (Netscape, Eudora etc.)
then the message appears as plain text in a browser window.
The problems with this is are :
1. The text message is very wide and requires the reader to scroll back
and forth many times, making reading it a bit of a chore.
2. Any hyperlinks included in the message are no longer clickable and need
to be copied and pasted into the browser address window.
3. A serious problem with HTML e-mail is that it increases the possibility of getting
a worm or virus, as these can be easily included in the HTML message in the
form of a Java applet or javascript.
Imagine if everyone used Outlook Express and sent HTML e-mail - how many
viruses and worms would be circulating around the internet! The mind boggles!
Most experienced netizens send plain text messages because they realise the
inherent dangers of HTML e-mail.
So, until HTML e-mail is safe and there is a standard format across e-mail
programs, it is best to send plain text messages.
