Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 19:09:25 -0400
From: Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Netiquette
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

"Keith F. Lynch" wrote:

> [snip excellent advice]
>
> As I may have mentioned before, nothing but plain text should ever be
> sent in email, except by pre-arrangement with the recipient.  Ted is
> mistaken when he says HTML email is displacing plain-text email.  The
> trend is in the other direction.  HTML email is being phased out, like
> punched cards, "high tech" OCR fonts, dot matrix printers, DIVX discs,
> and various other waves of the future.  More and more people, lists,
> and whole ISPs are discarding all such email unread, because of spam,
> bloat, viruses, and web-bugs.  Similarly with email with attachments.

I think this is pure wishful thinking on your part, Keith.  The trend is in
the other direction.  What you are ignoring is the exponential growth of PC
users who are *not* net-savy, and who use their email to keep in touch with
family members.   As these people have begun invading the lists, so has
HTML-rich email -- *lots* of it.  Most of the lists I'm on have at one time
or another discussed this issue -- because it has *become* an issue.
HTML-rich email is *much* more prevalent on the non-fannish (music) lists I'm
on and no one objects to it.

Separately, I have friends who have *free* AOL accounts -- because they were
among the first -- who have become increasingly dissatisfied with AOL's
"upgrades" and have tried to return to 5.0, simply because there is no way to
turn off the HTML-rich email in 6.0 and 7.0.   AOL mails out tons of
"coasters" (well, that's what I use 'em for) on a regular basis to most of
America.  The last one I got came in a *tin* which was novel at least.   A
lot of Moms & Pops in Middle America *use* these things, and consequently
have AOL v7.0 installed on their machines (ruthlessly pushing aside any other
ISPs they might have been using).

As PC use spreads and becomes the norm in American households (pretty much as
TV did 50 years ago), you're going to find that the majority of users
*prefer* HTML-rich email, because it allows them to pick unreadable script
typefaces and color them pink (or whatever).

As we used to say On The Bus, "I say live it, or live with it."

--Ted White