Re: Question "Text vs. HTML"
Re: Question "Text vs. HTML"
- Subject: Re: Question "Text vs. HTML"
- From: Fred Showker <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 10:56:12 -0400
Sandy asked
> for a bit of advice.
> ... if people have a preference for html
> or for plain text?
> What sort of mailings do you prefer?
I've seen this question asked dozens of times from all over
the web... the list of newsletters, discussion lists and
public relations firms would be too long to mention here...
all of which wanted to convert from TEXT to HTML for
one of two reasons:
1) They forgot *WHO* the information was for, what purpose
it serves, and were compelled by marketing to convert it
into a selling or advertising piece, or...
2) They wanted to embed coding to achieve covert goals
while keeping the mechanics of the email concealed
from the reader.
Apple has fallen to #1 above, and Peachpit has fallen to
#2 above -- just two examples. I trust Sandy is NOT
testing the waters for reason #2. She wouldn't do that.
Personally, I believe the recipients of the Bulletin have
subscribed for the specific information that applies to
their relationships in the user group community -- or --
to repurpose the information fo their members.
This suggests that TEXT fulfills that need nicely.
I looked back over several of the previous Bulletins to envision
where I would put graphics if I were publishing the newsletter.
There were some instances where it would be appropriate to place
a LINK to a graphic, but NO instances for which a graphic
was essential to the message.
Which means any graphics placed therein would be simply
gratuitous decoration, self-gratification or pandering.
Evan Holt said:
> Would you run out to your nearest Apple Authorized Reseller
> and snatch up an iPod Nano if it was only described to you
> in plain text? A picture is worth a thousand words, and
> clearly pictures can help convey the atmosphere of
> a MUG meeting or a new product.
Indeed, Evan is correct. However, (IMHO) it is not the mission of
the Bulletin to compel its readers to "snatch up an iPod Nano" --
Correct me if I'm wrong, most recipients of the Bulletin are
User Group officers who use the bulletin to purvey
the information to their memberships...
Link to the image: Excellent;
The image itself: superfluous.
HTML mail actually makes more work for the recipient.
As with Apple's new method of sending encoded press releases,
the code then has to be stripped out. (Besides, their encoding,
as in most html encoded email, is almost always incorrect
and has to be fixed anyway.)
Throughout more than two decades of sending email newsletters in
text, countless readers have thanked me for the links to
graphics, but not one whined about the lack of graphics.
Then there's always the nasty problem of fonts, colors
and browser specific formatting.
Michael said:
> This would be a good poll for Chuck Joiiner to do if
> he hasn't already done so.
I have polled subscribers in the WebDesign & Review department of
the Design Center and the Design Cafe (my day job) many times
over the years and each time the response is overwhelming
in favor of TEXT.
It would be nice for Sandy to stay-the-course, continue
delivering her EXCELLENT bulletin in TEXT, so we can
continue deriving its benefits quickly and effortlessly.
No need to preach to the choir.
Fred
I commented on this topic back in 60-Second Window #141
"You've got Photos... The P in PC stands for Plague"
http://www.60-Seconds.com/articles/141.html
As for those annoying press releases, read
Reason #9 of the
"Top Ten Reasons To Throw Your Press Release in the Trash"
http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Business/PressRel.html
A good meeting topic for UG Meetings might be:
"How NOT to send photos in email"
http://www.graphic-design.com/Web/PixelSmith/photo-mail/index.html
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