[thelist] HTML in email

[.jeff]

ross,

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: From: Ross Johnston
:
: One thing is for sure, you had better
: get used to HTML email
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

no offense, but i don't care for the hard-sell.  in the time i've been using
the net, i've yet to run across an html email of any sort that i preferred
over good, old plain-text.  it just doesn't exist.  there are just too many
reasons why i'll probably always prefer text:

1) smaller file size which means it'll
   take less time to download and less
   room to archive
2) loads up in the preview window faster
3) is easier to format a reply to
4) doesn't require me to be connected to
   read
5) doesn't report my reading of the email
   in a covert fashion
6) doesn't expose me to viruses
7) doesn't spawn browser windows seemingly
   for the heck of it
8) isn't filled full of some self-absorbed
   designers idea of "getting the message
   across" imagery
9) can be read in *any* mail client

and the list goes on.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: With email  being the biggest activity on the
: web, site operators who don't use it fully for
: communications and promotions will  lose out in
: a big way, and fully has to mean HTML
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

based on what you do for a living isn't your opinion alittle biased?

   "All the evidence points to increased
    response rates from graphical (HTML)
    email. It shouldn't be surprising that
    the addition of colour, pictures (even
    multimedia) will increase response over
    text-based email. eResponse is dedicated
    to making this new interactive medium
    work for you."

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: By using email you can take the initiative and
: keep in touch with vistiors bringing them back
: time and time with links to new items or products.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... which in and of itself does not require html enabled email.  you can do
that just as easily with plain text.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: For that reason every  website should have an
: email strategy and part of that strategy has
: to be the contemplation or use of a more
: graphical form than text.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

more importantly though is getting an understanding of your (intended)
audience and what email option makes the most sense for them.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: Remember ma and pa have been putting graphics
: and pics in email for a while now and the most
: used email clients such as Outlook Express
: have HTML as default.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and ma and pa putting graphcis and pics in email has nothing to do with them
doing it because it's more compelling.  they're doing it because their mail
client has the html option as the default.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: Hey has anyone thought it could be fun.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sure, but once i put the glass pipe down that feeling went away.