On Mon, 2004-11-08 at 14:01, Michael A. Peters wrote: > On 11/08/2004 10:04:27 AM, A Fedora Core list member wrote: > > > > > And don't post HTML messages to this list. > > I've seen several cases on the various Fedora lists where a complaint > is made about html messages that are actually sent as both text/plain > and as html messages. > > IE if the client reading the message can not display html, there is a > text component as well. > > Is it really necessary to ask people who send these types of messages > to not do so? > > I suspect what is happening is that evolution defaults to the html > version because it can handle it, and people then assume that it was > only sent as html mail. But often that isn't the case - often there is > a text component and an html component. > > I agree that a message should never be sent to a list in html only, and > I personally never send html mail myself, but is it really a crime to > send a message that contains both text/plain and html to the list? > > btw - I use balsa, which defaults to the text component message if > there is one. > I bet evolution can be configured to do the same, is it? If not, > perhaps it should be? I don't think evolution is an issue here. (I use that client and have no problems reading any of the email sent to the list.) I think there are few clients out there that don't parse any of the mime type information so a multi part message as you describe gets dumped out on those clients has both a html chunk and a text chunk. (guess on my part but seems logical) Not sure which clients do that (possibly pine?) but I am sure some are that way. Some users may not have a choice or have chosen to use pure text setups. The other argument for not sending html even in multi part messages with text parts included is that you are essentially sending two copies of the message where only one is really needed. This is the bandwidth issue with html. It increases the data that has to be received and some users pay by the kilo byte over slow links. So in that case it is really a courtesy to those users to send the smallest message possible. -- Scot L. Harris webid@xxxxxxxxxx The ends justify the means. -- after Matthew Prior
