I know there is a certain elitism associated with plaintext, top-post, excessive quoting, etc, but each has a reasoning. If you need the formatting and images knock up a pdf. Otherwise just give us the meat of your words.
In a mailing list context, you are of course correct. If you search the archives for my name or email address and the word "please" you'll likely find hundreds if not thousands of comments inside responses to questions where I try to convince people of that same point.
However, Monsieur Jeff Vian's post was categorically extreme and dealt entirely with another subject. He said (in so many words) that HTML mail is only good for transmitting virii and opening backdoors on your system, and that "while appearance may be eye candy, it adds nothing to the value of the content." Such a post, especially with so many newbies and "normal people" on this list (as opposed to sysadmins who know enough to separate the wheat from the chaff) will get us all branded as radical fanatics.
M. Vian's point (unless I drastically misread something) is that HTML mail is evil and worthless, therefore to be avoided at all costs. I responded to that specific opinion only.
-- Rodolfo J. Paiz rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.simpaticus.com
