HTML messages to mailing lists. Problem upgrading ncurses

[Stroller]

On 24 Jul 2008, at 03:50, Steven Kurylo wrote:

> On Wed, Jul 23, 2008 at 5:44 PM, Stroller
> <stroller at stellar.eclipse.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> On 24 Jul 2008, at 01:09, Dale Schumacher wrote:
>>>
>>>> Also, could you possibly post to the list in plain text, not HTML?
>>>
>>> Sure, I could.  I thought it would be more clear to post the
>>> transcript in fixed font.  Doesn't it come through as multi-part-
>>> alternative anyway, so you should have a plain-text version too?
>>> It seems the richer markup is often useful.
>>
>>
>> The fixed-width font you chose ("courier new,monospace"?) is
>> honoured, but comes up as greyish on my mail client (Apple's Mail)
>> and is difficult to read.
>
> So it sounds the problem is with your client.

Arguably is it _in this case_.

However, the fundamental problem with HTML messages is that the  
sender tells the recipient's email client what font to use, without  
knowing how it will display for the recipeint.

In this case it might be that my mail client doesn't display courier  
new terribly well, but next week it'll be someone else who thinks  
that green is a great colour in which to compose their email  
messages, and the font size they choose will come up 2mm high on my  
screen (and probably on yours, too). I can't tell you which of the  
lists I subscribe to it was, but this HAS happened on a Linux mailing  
list in the last 8 weeks.

> Tell your client,
> assuming its a reasonable client, to only show plain text and not the
> HTML.

I don't wish to do that because commercial HTML messages display  
fine, and I like them. (and my client does not allow "enable/disable  
HTML by folder, if at all)

I am only requesting that you don't send HTML messages unless you  
know they'll display legibly for the majority (>99%) of your readers.  
Amazon do this, why can't Dale? I don't mean this, especially not  
personally, but I hope you get my point. Plain-text is ALWAYS safe.

> The only argument to skip html is disk space/bandwidth which is rarely
> an issue these days.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. It's not worth a big  
argument, and I'm only requesting a preference, not laying down  
"rules" for the list.

I notice that the list's subscription page has an option "Get MIME or  
Plain Text Digests?"
I'd be glad to use that if that would stop my whining, but I assume  
that it would also strip plain text or gzip'd attachments (presumably  
these are also MIME parts?) and I would like to receive .conf or .log  
files if they're posted.

Stroller