ATTN SELF-STYLED LIST POLICE (was RE: Mr. Day)

[Thomas Cameron]

On Tue, 2004-12-07 at 15:06 +0800, Edward wrote:
> 
> Thomas Cameron wrote:
> 
> > I'm not saying it's fair, I'm certainly not saying it's better - I
> > vastly prefer plain text for e-mail.  What I am saying is that it's
> > fact.  So why is it that over 90% of the list should change their ways
> > for the 7-8% who voluntarily choose not to handle HTML e-mail?
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > Thomas
> 
> I can't believe I'm adding something again, but here I go...
> 
> VASTLY PREFER PLAIN TEXT FOR E-MAIL...

As do I!

> You just said it and a lot of people here think it. Like you I "DEAL" 
> with HTML mail on a daily basis. And true, it's an unfortunate fact that 
> HTML is the default on most mailers. To me it's bloat and completely 
> unnecessary.

Agreed!

> I'm also in agreeance with you - that, like I just said, we're not going 
> to get away from it because with nearly all the recent clients, HTML is 
> on by default (maybe that's where your 90% comes from?).

It comes from the list statistics that Scot Harris is kind enough to
generate every month:  https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-list/2004-
December/msg01344.html  If I'm reading it right, about 7% of the mailers
used to post are text only mailers which might have issues with HTML
mail (mutt, pine, etc.).

> But all I'm saying is that it is not netiquette. I know you don't 
> believe in hard and fast rules as per your previous posts (as you 
> shouldn't), but it is simply a "Nice thing to do (tm)".

Absolutely!  I couldn't agree more.  I am a firm believer in netiquette.
But netiquette is the suggested proper behavior - it isn't law.  People
who go postal over innocent violations alienate new users.  I've seen it
happen.  That is bad all the way around.

> So if someone kindly asks for a poster to not use HTML, please don't 
> begrudge them that. 

I wouldn't - I have absolutely no problem gently educating a new user.
You can look through the archive and see where I have suggested that
posters use plain text, and my .sig for a long time advocated bottom
posting.

> HTML mails are like 10x bigger, and in remote 
> Australia dial-up, receiving something like 400 messages a day from this 
> list...dude...trust me - she adds up...I've done the math.

I can absolutely understand your pain.  I've said before that I prefer
plain text and bottom posting.

> In summary - I do agree with you, and I will continue to deal with it 
> without getting upset or anything, but if someone wants to ask someone 
> to adhere to netiquette (nicely ofcourse!!!), then they really should be 
> allowed to.

Not an ounce of argument from me there.  I only took issue with the
blasting of newbies that has become more and more common on this (and
other) lists.  We were all newbies once.  I embraced Linux because the
Linux community embraced me - in spite of some *really* dumb questions I
asked early on (I was introduced to Linux in 1995).  I hate to see
newcomers not get the same amazing support that drew me into this
community.  Gentle persuasion is a Good Thing(TM).  High-horse snobbery
is bad for the everyone involved - the whole community suffers.

> Regards,
> Ed.

Thanks,
Thomas