HTML/Text Only Emails

[Jessica]

sending out HTML emails in bulk.

my question is, if a user has their preferences set to "text-only" is there any way to avoid them getting a bunch of regular text and urls when their browser converts the HTML email?

what i'd like to do is insert code into the original HTML email that allows it to detect the settings of the reciever so that if they are set to "text-only", they are automatically redirected to a nicer looking text email?

answers appreciated ASAP thank you!!

[ecnarongi]

if they can't receive html your script won't work anyway, so there would be no redirection just grabage on their screen. if they could receive html your script then could be executed but they can receive html so why bother.

if anyone else has input on this subject please tell because I work heavily in this area, and I am always looking for better ways.

[Jessica]

i don't have a script, and what is grabage????


for those who understand what i'm on about - basically i want to know if there is a way to send 2 types of email (text-only and HTML) so that html users get the proper one, and text-only users get a nicer looking version of the text that html leaves behind.

thanks again

[joh6nn]

no, there's not. you can only send one or the other. your best bet is just to send text only email.

i think 'grabage' is a typo of 'garbage'.

[Jessica]

lol i was joking about the grabage

i'm reading on quite a few sites that this is possible however, my question is how.

how do i do this for example: http://wilsonweb.com/wmt5/html-email-multi.htm

this guy makes it sound as if you divide the email up (hence, making it larger - yes i knowwww so don't tell me)

thxx

[brothercake]

My advice would be format the email such that in plain text version it still looks nice. For example

<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0>
<tr>
<td>some text in a cell<br></td>
</tr>
</table>


In HTML that <br> tag makes no difference, but in plain text it adds a crucial line break after the sentence.

Stuff like that. Stick to nice simple HTML 3 and you won't go far wrong.

[joh6nn]

...

shouldn't that be the other way around? add a carriage return, because in the html it won't matter, but in plain text, that would be a line break?

[ecnarongi]

Originally posted by Jessica
...

how do i do this for example: http://wilsonweb.com/wmt5/html-email-multi.htm

...

interesting, It seems as though the author is relying on the use of the software to get this technique to work. Another way you can do it, if you don't want to spend to get the programs suggested in your link, is to use a bug. I am not sure if they are still legal or not, and if they are not I will help you set one up.

[ecnarongi]

also the guy in the article backs up and says send text and html seperate to be sure or send just text. LOL, sorry my company makes 2, one plain and one html. I am willing to help, but as far as what the guy in the article is saying my help would be limited.

[zoobie]

Grabage?

Yes...You can send text/plain and text/html within the same email. Their 'client' then decides which to display. Naturally, it will display the text/html if possible. If html is disabled, it displays the text only. Brothercakes idea would be a good backup as anyone still with a text only display is probably also still running Windowz 3.1

[Jessica]

lol they may be running windows 3.1 but in any email like outlook, there is an option to not accept html emails anyway...

[brothercake]

Absolutely - we use GroupWise at work ,which is well capable of receiving HTML email, but I have it set to receive text only, and then I change the formatting on things which seem interesting.