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**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 15, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578 "2002-09-15T20:39:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1
**Author:**  [@Costermonger\_means\_barrow\_boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Costermonger_means_barrow_boy)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/1 "2002-09-15T20:39:36Z")
We all get html email, and despite our not wanting it, it looks great.
Like my longdistance bill is full of pictures and type-in holes and links.
But when I forward html email to people, each seems to get different things. One will report getting a 0-byte attachment.
One will get the html script, with the links in blue but no pictures.
When I try to cut and paste a picture or part of a screen into my message compositon window, sometimes I get it to show up and sometimes nothing happens, but it never arrives intact anyway.
I’ve tried these from Outlook, Outlook express, and Yahoo, all of which have html modes.
Do I need special software just to copy a funny photo into my family newsletter?
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**Author:**  [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/2 "2002-09-15T21:28:52Z")
It is not possible to make HTML e-mail that everyone can read. Not every e-mail client supports HTML.
You could send a link as plain text to a web page in HTML.
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**Author:**  [@Costermonger\_means\_barrow\_boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Costermonger_means_barrow_boy)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/3 "2002-09-15T22:09:07Z")
**Wikkit** -
You are clearly mistaken. If people are sending such email as bill and ads, then surely there must be a way to do it. And since they can’t predict which email server is on your end, the method must be fairly standard.
Sure some people turn of html, but those aren’t the people I’m sending to.
Perhaps the question would be easier to answer if posed: What do those who send me html do that I’m not doing, or what software do they have that I don’t have?
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**Author:**  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/4 "2002-09-15T23:25:33Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Costermonger means barrow boy \*
> **Wikkit -
> You are clearly mistaken. If people are sending such email as bill and ads, then surely there must be a way to do it. And since they can’t predict which email server is on your end, the method must be fairly standard.**
He isn’t mistaken. Not everyone has an email client that will interpret HTML. Just because some people send bills and ads in HTML does not mean everyone can read it.
There is no need to have special software to send an email containing HTML. HTML is nothing but text, and you could use notepad to create it if you wanted to. The only thing they have that you may not is the knowlege to write HTML in the first place.
A website like [www.projectcool.com](http://www.projectcool.com) can help you learn HTML, if you are sure your intended recipients can read it.
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**Author:**  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/5 "2002-09-15T23:42:25Z")
Frankly, html-enabled e-mail is an abomination. What on Earth does anyone need it? If you have something to say, say it. If you don’t, don’t clog someone’s inbox with it.
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**Author:**  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/6 "2002-09-16T00:05:42Z")
Please don’t send people HTML email. It’s horrible! I avoid it when possible. A lot of email billing places have a tick box somewhere when you initiate the email billing that lets you choose whether you receive HTML email or plain, so they’re not necessarily firing off HTML to everyone.
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**Author:**  [@vertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertigo)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/7 "2002-09-16T01:24:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Costermonger means barrow boy \*
> \*\*You are clearly mistaken. If people are sending such email as bill and ads, then surely there must be a way to do it. \*\*
Actually, they do have a way to know if you can receive HTML email or not. Direct Mail firms (the ones that are used to send email from the GAP, or VISA, etc) usually send at least one email that tests for HTML compatibility. If you pass the test, your email is put on a list of potentials for HTML email. When I worked for an online retailer we always made two emails. One text and the other HTML, depending on what your viewing capabilities were. Also may companies specifically ask you if you would prefer to receive email in HTML format or not. Text is usually sent if the preference is undetermined.
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**Author:**  [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/8 "2002-09-16T03:19:04Z")
Actually, you do NOT know if I can receive HTML email or not.
TODAY I may choose to use a HTML capable viewer.
TOMORROW I may choose NOT to use a HTML capable viewer.
Same inbox. Different viewers.
So what may work today, may not work tomorrow and may work in a few days time depending on my mood.
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**Author:**  [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/9 "2002-09-16T04:17:28Z")
I do not have an HTML-capable e-mail program. But I get messages from people all the time from people who send me HTML e-mails. Their mail program or server, I don’t know which, sends out a multipart message, with the first part as plain text, and the second part an HTML attachment. I assume that HTML-capable e-mail programs will only display the HTML part.
However, some e-mail I get, particularly spam and messages from Hotmail subscribers, has only the HTML part, and to read it I would have to either a) look at the raw message, with HTML tags in it, or b) launch the attachment in my web browser.
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**Author:**  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-you-make-html-email-everyone-can-read/128578/10 "2002-09-16T04:18:50Z")
```auto
/"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign
\ / No HTML/RTF in email
X No Word docs in email
/ \ Respect Open Standards[list]
```