Re: HTML email, was Re: reading color quoted replies
On Thu, Feb 01, 2007 at 11:04:23PM -0600, Travis H. wrote:
> I would say your best angle is a security angle. See if you can get
> someone with the authority to recognize that reading your email with a
> web browser and/or sending HTML poses a threat to the security of the
> company and the users who don't know better.
Ok, thanks Travis. I'm still pessimistic about being able to bring
about real change this way. Unfortunately, I think that it's likely
going to take enough people getting burned before widespread change.
>
> If you need some "argument by authority", I point you to the fact that
> the DoD banned the use of HTML email and OWA:
>
> http://www.fcw.com/article97178-12-22-06-Web
>
Perhaps it starts with the DoD. Interestingly, all of the cited
anecdotes suggest that html is not getting blocked, but is getting
converted to text. Is there still considerable danger in dumping html
via w3m or some other html to text converter? That's not a rhetorical
question; I really don't know the answer and I'm not suggesting that
html email not be banned even if the answer is no.
Also, we correspond with several DoD organizations on a weekly basis.
We've never had an email blocked, nor have we been told not to send html
email.
> On a personal level, you can always create an autoresponder that says
> something like, "I'm sorry, but I was expecting an email from you and
> instead I got a web page. I do not use a web browser to read email,
> so I cannot view this. If you wish to communicate by email, please
> try sending one."
Ok, but I think that a less condescending, more diplomatic message that
cites a real reason--like security--would be more effective.