Re: Replying to "plain text" messages in HTML.

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook] (MillyS_at_donteventhinkaboutmailingmemvps.org)
Date: 01/30/05 

Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 14:20:25 -0800

Thank you and loud applause for this response to all of the inconsiderate
people who insist on using HTML when replying to plain text messages!!
Huzzah! 

-- 
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.  Due to the 
(insert latest virus name here) virus, all mail sent to my personal account 
will be deleted without reading.
"Vanguard" <vanguard_stealth@yahooNIXTHIS.com> wrote in message 
news:eEM$2$uBFHA.2608@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
| "g_d" <g_d@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
| news:0EAC4CC1-42A7-4FD4-BBC3-53FAA9A66D3A@microsoft.com...
| > Hi there - In Outlook Express there is a setting under "Tools-->
| > Options -->
| > Send" that says "Reply to messages using the format in which they were
| > sent".
| >
| > I would always have this option turned off, as when I recieved a
| > message in
| > Plain Text, I would still prefer to reply in HTML.  Now I've searched
| > my
| > fully updated copy of Outlook 2003 for anything that would let me do
| > this,
| > but to no avail.
| >
| > I'm fully aware that I can choose "HTML" at the top of the message
| > window,
| > but I'd prefer if this operation was more similiar to Outlook Express.
|
|
| Mom never taught you etiquette?  Someone writes you a letter in Spanish
| and you reply in Russian?
|
| So YOU want to send in HTML despite the sender has indicated that they
| want e-mails in plain-text format and may only be able to read in
| plain-text format.  That is rude.  You should always reply in the same
| format as what the sender used, or use a reduced functionality format
| (i.e., if they send in HTML then you reply in HTML or plain-text, but
| there isn't anything lower than plain-text).  Did you ask the sender
| that used plain-text format if their e-mail client can support HTML?
| Even if it does support HTML that recipient may configure the e-mail
| client or anti-spam filter to always block HTML messages or strip out
| the HTML (which can leave your message unreadable unless you are
| including both text/plain and text/html MIME parts in your message, and
| the recipient's e-mail client supports MIME).
|
| They sent in plain-text format so that is the ONLY format that you know
| they support.  You might like all the glitz afforded by HTML formatting
| but the first objective is to get the message in a usable format to the
| recipient, and the recipient has already indicated they support
| plain-text formatting and that might be the only format they support.
| Not everyone uses the same e-mail client as you.  Not everyone needs a
| desktop GUI in their face and may prefer to use a command shell, so they
| may be using a command-line e-mail client which obviously isn't a GUI
| application and won't be able to render your HTML-formatted message.
| They may be reading your reply somewhere other than their favorite home
| or work computer so they don't have any control over what e-mail client
| they get to use and whether it supports HTML or not or if HTML gets
| stripped or not.
|
| Be polite.  If you want to ensure the sender can read your reply then
| reply using the same format as used by the sender.  It is rude to reply
| in a format different than used by the sender.
|

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Replying to "plain text" messages in HTML.
    ... > people who insist on using HTML when replying to plain text messages!! ... > | plain-text format. ... > | that used plain-text format if their e-mail client can support HTML? ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.general)
  • Re: Replying to "plain text" messages in HTML.
    ... So YOU want to send in HTML despite the sender has indicated that they ... plain-text format. ... that used plain-text format if their e-mail client can support HTML? ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.general)
  • Re: How to kill spam?
    ... HTML to text format, ... The point was that your post inferred that switching to *viewing* an e-mail in plain-text format would somehow make the rules change so all the rules would see was also that plain-text rendering of the HTML-formatted e-mail. ... The OP was looking for how to get rid of the spam, not how to read spam in plain-text format. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers)
  • Re: Simple question ??
    ... A web page is basically an HTML document. ... a technology that, at the most basic level, delivers HTML to a web browser. ... Internet Explorer, for example, can display Word documents, ... file format to a browser in its native state. ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.aspnet)
  • Re: Salamander is now webbed
    ... page images instead of html. ... readers and smart phones avoid this problem by having a smaller "page ... CTRL-+ multiplies the pixels which doesn't work with thin typefaces ... That's "format paragraph" ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)