[pmmail-list] HTML-mail again - warning contains racial stereotypes!

[Simon Bowring]

On Thu, 19 Dec 2002 14:44:06 +0100 (MEZ), L.Willms wrote:

>   b) although the message header calls it a multipart message, I see on=
ly=20
one part.=20

Indeed there is - which nicely demonstrates 2 other basic
but significant problem with html+emails:

1. Whether the client/renderer should "follow" embedded URLs (e.g.
   to fetch embedded images) or not. Even forgetting the security=20
   implications for a moment(!), such objects might be on a=20
   remote intranet, behind a firewall or otherwise inaccessible=20
   to the client)!

2. Whether (or according to what rules) the sender should MIME=20
   encode/package objects referred to via embedded URLs or not=20
   (and how deeply etc).

(You'll find different versions of Outlook behave differently
wrt to this - brilliant - I suppose MS think we need email=20
so that we can fail to communicate properly with other=20
users!?).

IMO all the so-called "techies" who thought of html email=20
in the first place but who didn't dismiss the idea out of hand
as being unworkably stupid and impossibly technically unsound=20
(within 5 minutes) should be lined up against a wall and shot.
IMO these people have given up their right to design software!=20
If they'd been working for MS-Japan, I've no doubt they'd
have done the honourable thing by now ;-) Had it been me,
I would have had to leave the profession - I wouldn't be able=20
to cope with either the shame or the derision and hatred of my=20
peers!

I can even remember having several pub conversations with=20
fellow programmers that started off with one saying something=20
like "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to support HTML in email..."=20
only to have numerous technical hurdles thrown up within=20
*seconds*!

The technical *incompetance* of the guys at NS and MS who=20
started (or allowed) this rubbish is *absolutely staggering*
to me!

Imagine if you worked for a car manufacturer and they said
they were going to make a car out of paper! Hopefully
engineers within the organisation would ask what would=20
happen to it when it rained, caught fire etc etc. Hopefully=20
they would then either cancel the project as unworkably stupid,=20
or find solutions to the problems.=20

Unfortunately HTML-email exists, is problematic and no solutions=20
to many of the problems exist!

IMO this could only have happened in the USA, where they have an=20
appallingly cavalier attitude to engineering and technology=B9.=20
The Germans, for example, with their fine tradition of excellent=20
engineering practice would (correctly) never have allowed it!

Maybe programmers should be licensed! There'd be a lot less of=20
them and a lot less software, but I'd bet that it'd be a lot
more useful than the triumph of form over function that=20
serves as software today!

Rant? Moi? ;-)

Simon
--
=B9Half the time they can't even remember which bloody units to use ;-)
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