Re: html filtering

[Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@optimalco.com>]

scripsit Paul Johnson:
 
> Your message was in, or contained, HTML.  Mail sent by HTML will not
> be considered for reading.  Sending in HTML is resource intensive
> often consuming far more resources than necissary to get the job done,
> and assumes that the recipient's mail reader is braindamaged enough to
> parse potentially bugged HTML in this day and age.
> 
> Please disable HTML in your mail program before attempting to resend
> your message.  If you need help, please see
> http://www.expita.com/nomime.html
> 
> This is an automated response, no human has seen your message.

There is certainly a special place in hell reserved for whomever hatched
the bright idea of HTMLizing e-mail -- somewhere near the userers, I
suspect.

However, rejecting all HTMLized mail this way has a potential problem if
you use e-mail for professional communication.  Some mail systems are
_unable_ to send plaintext e-mail.  My employer requires that I use
Outlook/Exchange for work-related e-mail.  Regardless of the client
settings, the server converts all mail to HTML.  Knowing this, I use my
private e-mail whenever possible, including (especially) posts to lists
like this.  Nonetheless, knowing that there are circa 7,000 employees
here who are unable to send plaintext e-mail using their work accounts
-- and being certain that this is not the only institution with a
brain-damaged mail server -- I cannot see how simply bouncing HTML mail
will solve the problem.  Not all instances of HTML mail are the fault of
the users.

-- 
Thanasis Kinias
Web Developer, Information Technology
Graduate Student, Department of History
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.

Ash nazg durbatul�k, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatul�k agh burzum-ishi krimpatul