don't like HTML email? here's your fix.

[Steve Lamb]

Wednesday, March 29, 2000, 6:10:23 AM, Simon wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Mar 2000 13:43:27 +0100, David Gaskill wrote:

>>On my 56 K modem the difference in cost to download an Ascii e-mail 
>>and an html formatted e-mail would be a tiny fraction of the cost of the 
>>cup of coffee I am drinking as I compose this. 
> Fine, your calculations are absolutely correct if and only if you only 
> ever receive one single HTML email ever!  

> i.e. I think you're the one using flawed logic!

    Which, if "everyone" used HTML, would not be the case.

> Sadly, anyone can (and quite a few do) chuck out any old junk as an
> email (or ftp, or news etc) program.  There are no conformancy tests 
> and associated "badge" for such products, as there are for compilers, 
> low-level network protocols and such things as Java etc.  This is
> a shame!

    Actually, there is for newsreaders.  It is called the Good Net-Keeping
Seal of Approval (GNKSA).  It is a series of tests performed on newsreaders
and they are given a percentage score based on how well they perform on those
tests.  Not that any layperson would know about the GNKSA, much less the
ratings of different news clients.

    I was thinking of making one for email clients called the SMS (Sane Mail
System) but I'm kind of putting it off since it would be heavily biased by my
conception of what email clients should be.  To put it another way, /no/
client that currently exists would meat the SMS standards.  ;)

-- 
         Steve C. Lamb         | I'm your priest, I'm your shrink, I'm your
         ICQ: 5107343          | main connection to the switchboard of souls.
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