On 21 Oct 2002, Lee Levine wrote:

> Because the mailing lists I'm on allow for it in case we need to send
> jpeg images
> and similar such information which we do on a regular basis.
>
> If it bothers you so much, set up a filter to delete any e-mail from me.
>
> You are the only one that has complained.
>

	Sorry bout that, I slept in today. I'd have surely complained much
sooner. In fact, I'm still kinda spikey from the morning caffiene
avalanche, so let's rant a bit! I'll call this 'Why HTML sucks in the
inbox.'

	What is HTML? It's a markup language. If you ever used the
'Reveal Codes' feature in WordPerfect, you're highly appreciative of the
fact that those codes disappeared when toggled the mode back to normal
text view. I find HTML to be quite similiar. It looks great in a web
browser, and if I want to know what makes it tick, I can use on of those
excellent 'View Source' options. I can understand maybe wanting to use a
different font, but really, what good are froopy fonts if your invective
sucks? Save it for the resume.

	Other than that, what's the real point to it, in email? Sure, a
picture is worth a thousand words, but what if I'm European or Japanese?
Some of those users pay by the BYTE. If you want to bring a photo into
your argument, or, Linus forbid, a whole series of them, why not just put
in a link to the page you stuck them on, and keep the HTML on the web
server? I don't recall ever seeing anything in the SMTP, POP, or IMAP
specs about HTML, so why tie up someone's dial-up with a string of images
they may not want to view?

	And lastly, your cavalier attitude of 'if you don't like it,
delete my messages,' sucks worse than Windows XP in a p133. That's the
most disrespectful attitude you could have, and it puts you in the same
category as spammers, in my not-so-humble opinion. Do you go to someone
else's house, eat all their food and say "Sorry, you shouldn't invite me
over if you don't like it." Of course not. You'd likely get your ass beat
if you did it often enough. Sure, that doesn't happen online, but trolls
like me can certainly make a pretty good go at it.

	"But this other list lets me do it.." Hrmph. And they speak French
in France, too, but not on this list. Show some respect for house rules,
as well as the other users. And stay off my bridge!

- billn