Re: gEDA-user: Can we fix the HTML stripping on this list?

["James F. Carroll" <jcarroll@xxxxxxx>]

   gEDA users,

   On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 10:11 PM, Ben Jackson <[1]ben@xxxxxxx> wrote:

     The list software is filtering and replacing the
     HTML with text/plain, generally producing a much worse plaintext
     than
     the original mailer.  The result is multipart/alternative with TWO
     text/plain sections, the second ("preferred") one being the mangled
     HTML.
     Personally I advocate going back to NOT mangling the HTML [...]
     If we must keep mangling HTML, either remove it (if a text/plain
     already exists) or properly order the sections so that the original
     mailer's text/plain is preferred instead of the illegible output of
     the
     list's filter.

   I'm glad that this issue is being discussed.  If there is anyone on
   the list who receives "mangled" messages, I hope that we can work
   together to resolve the issue.  No one likes to read an email that is
   hard on the eyes.  In fact, this is probably why so many HTML messages
   are described as "hate mail": they take formatting too far, and thus
   abuse the recipients.
   I agree with Ben
   Jackson.  Multipart messages are designed to accommodate those who
   prefer plain text as well as those that prefer rich text.  I often
   receive and send rich text emails.  I see a few key advantages to
   using formatting in emails:
     * Lists are appropriately displayed as such (itemized lists as well
       as enumerated lists).  Of course, lists can also be created with
       newlines, spaces / tabs, and asterisks (*) or numbers (1-9).
     * Long [2]URLs can be included as [3]hyperlinks without filling the
       screen.  Yes, links can also be included as footnotes without
       cluttering the body. [1]
     * Increased clarity through emphasis with italics and bold.  I see
       these frequently in reports to managers, along with colored text,
       calling attention to the key items otherwise buried in the sea of
       text. Yes, you can use plain-text techniques such as _underscores_
       and *asterisks* to give emphasis; however, the effect is
       diminished.

   I understand the strong desire to read emails in plain text, and most
   formatting can be emulated with common plain text symbols.  Yes,
   emails are usually short messages which do not require rich text
   formatting.  However, when properly used, rich text enhances email
   messages significantly, increasing clarity and visual appeal of a
   message.
   Sincerely,
   James Carroll
   Research Assistant
   [4]Configurable Computing Lab
   Brigham Young University
   [5]jcarroll@xxxxxxx
   [1] Footnotes, like this one, can relocate lengthy URLs from the body
   to the bottom of the message to create "accessible
   footnotes": [6]http://www.likewowonline.net/web/dev/accessible-footnot
   es.html#32066

References

   1. mailto:ben@xxxxxxx
   2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Resource_Locator
   3. http://www.w3schools.com/HTML/html_links.asp
   4. http://ccl.ece.byu.edu/
   5. mailto:jcarroll@xxxxxxx
   6. http://www.likewowonline.net/web/dev/accessible-footnotes.html#32066


_______________________________________________
geda-user mailing list
geda-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user