Newsletter

[Robert Secon]

I want to program a newsletter which must be send through E-Mail. It needs
to be html. Will there be any prblems with Outlook Express and other mail
programs (e.g. Linux mailprograms etc.) I have to observe when programming
it? What kind of Browsers do they use for viewing the html-files (important
for css-designing)?

 

[Chris Morris]

I want to program a newsletter which must be send through E-Mail. It needs
to be html. Will there be any prblems with Outlook Express and other mail
programs (e.g. Linux mailprograms etc.) I have to observe when programming
it? What kind of Browsers do they use for viewing the html-files (important
for css-designing)?

Some mail programs don't support HTML mail. Always give the option to
receive a plain-text version, or format the email so it includes both
plain-text and HTML versions. Otherwise you'll get complaints.

Integrated mail and web programs (OE+IE, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera,
etc) usually use their own web program to view. Standalone mail
programs could use any browser installed on the system, a lot of Linux
ones probably use lynx or (e)links (text-mode browsers).

 

[Robert Secon]

Some mail programs don't support HTML mail. Always give the option to
receive a plain-text version, or format the email so it includes both
plain-text and HTML versions. Otherwise you'll get complaints.

How can someone receiving an e-mail choose between two versions though the
newsletter was even sent?

Integrated mail and web programs (OE+IE, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera,
etc) usually use their own web program to view. Standalone mail
programs could use any browser installed on the system, a lot of Linux
ones probably use lynx or (e)links (text-mode browsers).

In the case I´m using css (e.g. background-repeat), it only needs to be
tested by those browsers and not just even through the mail program, right?

 

[Chris Morris]

How can someone receiving an e-mail choose between two versions though the
newsletter was even sent?

If the email includes in the correct manner a plain text version and a
HTML version, the mail program will select the appropriate one.

If when you're getting people to give you their email addresses for
the newsletter you ask them whether they want plain text or HTML, you
can find out that way and send two separate newsletters.

In the case I´m using css (e.g. background-repeat), it only needs to be
tested by those browsers and not just even through the mail program, right?

Yes, though there's a very wide range of possible browsers - any
browser at all could be used, as well as programs with no web browsing
capability but with a HTML parser. Some standalone mail programs may
have their own built-in HTML parser, as well.

 

[Jacqui or (maybe) Pete]

I want to program a newsletter which must be send through E-Mail. It needs
to be html. Will there be any prblems with Outlook Express and other mail
programs (e.g. Linux mailprograms etc.) I have to observe when programming
it? What kind of Browsers do they use for viewing the html-files (important
for css-designing)?

Some webmail (eg hotmail) strip out references to external css files and
generally mess with your html.

Keeping the markup simple (just headers & paragraphs for preference)
would be my suggestion.

I assume you're happy to live with losing people who can't read html
emails or who spam filter it?

 

[EightNineThree]

I want to program a newsletter which must be send through E-Mail. It needs
to be html. Will there be any prblems with Outlook Express and other mail
programs (e.g. Linux mailprograms etc.) I have to observe when programming
it? What kind of Browsers do they use for viewing the html-files (important
for css-designing)?

7 Reasons why HTML email is evil -
http://www.georgedillon.com/web/html_email_is_evil.shtml

Why developers don't want HTML email -
http://evolt.org/article/view/25/781/index.html

Why HTML email is bad -
http://evolt.org/article/view/25/781/index.html

HTML in Email: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -
http://www.ibiztips.com/email19FEB01.htm

HTML Email Isn't Rich -
http://www.evolt.org/article/HTML_Email_Isn_t_Rich/25/53732/

HTML in Email: A Bad Idea -
http://www.efn.no/html-bad.html

Why HTML Mail Readers Are a Bad Thing -
http://www.chaosphere.com/blathu/htmlmail.html

Plain Text or HTML - Let your users decide:
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/522

HTML Email: Turn it off!
http://www.american.edu/cas/econ/htmlmail.htm

Securing Privacy Part Three: Email Issues
http://www.securityfocus.com/printable/infocus/1579

A Trick to snoop on E-mail
http://www.landfield.com/isn/mail-archive/2001/Feb/0041.html


http://www.privacytoolbox.org/browsing/javascript.shtml

 

[Pete]

If you want another way, try http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com