Wow. Just simply amazing! I love checking my email, just ask my wife! Sometimes to often, and that’s something I have been working on lately. Sort of like a collaborative agreement between us. Anyways, I was checking them the other day, amazed that I could miss the greatest startup company stock offering, ever! But, wait, then there is the new and improved pill that will help me burn fat while I sit in the chair watching the television. Now, that sounds nice, no sweat or sore muscles. And, then there is the guy from some country that I can’t even pronounce, wanting to split the proceeds from his inheritance with me. Only if I send him $50.00 right away, to a bank account in the Bahamas, or someplace.
So, where am I going with this, you might be wondering? Well, I was checking my feeds and Jeffrey Zeldman was talking about the abuse of html code in emails. Emails are supposed to be for text messages to each other, just like the U.S. Postal system mail carries written letters (and advertisements) from person to person. There seems to be an increase in the amount of emails that are written to display in html format, much like a web page does.
This might not be to bad of an idea, however, as someone that just recently upgraded to a high speed connection at home, I can tell you that it sucks to have to go through emails that take forever to download, or when you click on it to open, it just chugs along, waiting to display the message of your winnings, drugs, or only chance to pick the greatest stock ever.
Now, some of the html formatted emails are fine. Only if you subscribe to them. Sometimes when you sign up for a newsletter, or on a site for a product announcement, those are okay as long as you are aware of them. But, as Roger Johansson of 456 Berea Street stated,
“Sending me HTML-based e-mail messages without a clearly formatted plain text alternative is like calling me on the phone and refusing to speak clearly.”
Anyways, just a rant on my part I guess. So stop sending me your html coded emails. I don’t want anymore offers of the greatest stock, or wonder drug, or free millions.
Unless of course, it’s actually true!
