HTML question

Factual Questions
1

Can someone with more computer savvy than I answer this for me? I want to know if I can imbed some HTML symbols in my e-mail. For example, can I get those cute little smileys we use here in my regular e-mail? I am using Microsoft Outlook, if it matters. How about in word processing docs?

Don’t get me wrong–I love life. I’m just finding it harder and harder to keep myself amused.

2

Generally, no. Unless your word processor (I don’t know MS Outlook) has a HTML mode, it will just print the tags as plain text. You could attach an HTML document to your e-mail, and it could be displayed by a browser or an HTML-savvy word processor, but you can’t (usually) just throw HTML tags into normal text and get the results you want.

There are e-mail systems (AOL, for example) that support fancy text and graphics, etc., but they tend to be system-specific, and don’t generally display the HTML either.

But – things change rapidly in the software world, mostly because it’s something somebody wants. Maybe it won’t be long until you can do what you were asking about.

“After all, she was not very much older…and a plump widowhood has its appeal.”
Dorothy L. Sayers
Murder Must Advertise

3

Outlook can do some neato things, but they’re usually only viewable by other Outlook users, and sometimes only users of your particular version. Folks using different systems will receive text with attachments.

I hesitate to suggest you read through the Outlook help menus, as they’re about comparable to most of Microsoft’s Help files. But you can get some ideas from the Outlook Assistant.

-andros-

4

To send e-mail in HTML format from Microsoft Outlook: Click “Tools” on the menu bar and Select “Options” down there at the bottom of the menu.

You should have a dialog box labelled “Options” now. Find the tab that says “Mail Format” and select that. You should have a page now that allows you to switch between e-mail formats (plain text, rich text and HTML). Just below that you can select the stationary you would like to use. There are many free ones you can download also.

The other guys here are correct though. Most of the e-mailers out can’t handle HTML. the only ones I can think of offhand are Outlook and Outlook Express although Eudora may support HTML now.

“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - Humphrey Bogart

5

There is also a way to make your own stationary from gifs and jpgs, even animated gifs, but I have forgotten how to do it. I have even received mail that plays music while you have the message open.

“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - Humphrey Bogart

6

Thanks, all! Especailly UncleBeer. When I read from andros that I would have to use the office assistant, I started shaking. God I hate that freakin’ paper clip! OK, I’m off to impress my friends now with my HTML e-mail :slight_smile:

Thanks again.

Don’t get me wrong–I love life. I’m just finding it harder and harder to keep myself amused.

7

Wanna get rid of that annoying little paper clip? Here’s my trick. Open Windows Explorer and do a search for files named “*.act”. Then just change the file extension to something stupid like “poo”. Your MS Office products will no longer be able to find those bastards and you will get “normal” help files.

If you have a default installation they should be in the folder (dammit, why aren’t they called directories any more?):
“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Actors”

Good luck, I hate those little bastards too. And they can’t even tell you how to remove themselves. Insidious.

“The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind.” - Humphrey Bogart

8

Just a word of caution… some email clients will convert all html messages to an attached file… very annoying. Also, html in email can be irritating.

>^,^<
“Cluemobile? You’ve got a pickup…”
OpalCat’s site: http://opalcat.com
The Teeming Millions Homepage: fathom.org/teemingmillions

9

For the record, if properly mime encoded, most modern mail programs can handle HTML encoded emails. Many of them strip the offending HTML, some just ignore that mime segment and “hope” that there’s a plain text segment, as well. A number of mail programs can actually decode the HTML and display the formatting. MS Internet Explorer and Outlook have already been mentioned, but Netscape does this, as well.

Also, for the record, the little yellow smileys are not HTML, they are just a trick of the processing on this board. To get those in emails with embedded HTML, you’ll have to create gif or jpg images and embed those. Note: This is a very UNfriendly thing to do for email clients that are not savvy enough to decode or strip the HTML…