HTML emails...

[maya]

hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags (as
in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I figured
it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do client-side
image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general guidelines for
HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML e-mails? (I look @ pg
in browser, of course, but well, how to tell how it'll look in diverse
e-mail clients?)

thank you..

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.com>
writing in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags
(as in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I
figured it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do
client-side image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general
guidelines for HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML
e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of course, but well, how to tell
how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

thank you..

Remember that a lot of people do not accept HTML email, or are unable to
view it. There are also a lot of people on dial-up connections, that
they might even have to pay for by the hour, so downloading HTML email
takes a lot longer than plain text email.

Even some web mail services (Yahoo, for one) will block images, mostly
to prevent email tracking, so image maps could be a real problem.

The best is plain text, with a link to the information.

--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

[Harlan Messinger]

maya wrote:

hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags (as
in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I figured
it's ok..)

A STYLE tag works too, no?

>
but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do client-side
image-maps?

Define "OK".

is there a web page somewhere with general guidelines for
HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML e-mails? (I look @ pg
in browser, of course, but well, how to tell how it'll look in diverse
e-mail clients?)

I don't mean to be flip, but mailing them to yourself and opening them
in diverse e-mail clients comes to mind.

[maya]

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.com>
writing in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

>hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags
(as in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I
figured it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do
client-side image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general
guidelines for HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML
e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of course, but well, how to tell
how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

thank you..

Remember that a lot of people do not accept HTML email, or are unable to
view it. There are also a lot of people on dial-up connections, that
they might even have to pay for by the hour, so downloading HTML email
takes a lot longer than plain text email.

Even some web mail services (Yahoo, for one) will block images, mostly
to prevent email tracking, so image maps could be a real problem.

yes, I have noticed that some web mail services (even webmail for my own
POP acct) does that (and there's usu a msg saying "for your privacy we
have deleted this image" or something like that.. why is this? what is
"e-mail tracking"? how are images used to do this?

>
The best is plain text, with a link to the information.

yes I know, but well, folks in the corp world are very fond of sending
HTML e-mails.. I just follow orders...;) where I work we send tons of
newsletters every day... all of them HTML emails.. now as far as
sending them, I don't how they send them at work, but the way I usu. do
it is load it in browser and then do file --send --page by e-mail..
is this best way to do this? (yes of course this is a proper way to
test, but you can't really know how it'll look for everyone.. but I
guess Harlan is right, if it looks ok in Outlook and a mozilla-based
client (such as Thunderbird) it should look ok in most situations..
thank you for your response..

[PTM]

"Harlan Messinger" <hm*******************@comcast.netwrote in message
news:4i************@individual.net...

maya wrote:

>hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines (no
CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags (as in
<span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I figured it's
ok..)

A STYLE tag works too, no?

>>
but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do client-side
image-maps?

Define "OK".

> is there a web page somewhere with general guidelines for HTML e-mails?
(and what is best way to test HTML e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of
course, but well, how to tell how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

I don't mean to be flip, but mailing them to yourself and opening them in
diverse e-mail clients comes to mind.

never used image maps in html emails.
but depending on the size of the pic involved it might be a better idea to
cut it up into pieces, as seems to be the norm.
you can still use style tags to ensure all the image pieces display
correctly to make up the full image.
you can also assign the 'hrefs' to the individual pieces (providing they're
not weird and wonderful shapes). this will have the side-effect benefit of
loading the email faster as the smaller images will all load (generally)
faster than a single large one.

Phil

[PTM]

"maya" <ma********@yahoo.comwrote in message
news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk...

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

>Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.com>
writing in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

>>hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags
(as in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I
figured it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do
client-side image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general
guidelines for HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML
e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of course, but well, how to tell
how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

thank you..

Remember that a lot of people do not accept HTML email, or are unable to
view it. There are also a lot of people on dial-up connections, that
they might even have to pay for by the hour, so downloading HTML email
takes a lot longer than plain text email. Even some web mail services
(Yahoo, for one) will block images, mostly
to prevent email tracking, so image maps could be a real problem.

yes, I have noticed that some web mail services (even webmail for my own
POP acct) does that (and there's usu a msg saying "for your privacy we
have deleted this image" or something like that.. why is this? what is
"e-mail tracking"? how are images used to do this?

>>
The best is plain text, with a link to the information.

yes I know, but well, folks in the corp world are very fond of sending
HTML e-mails.. I just follow orders...;) where I work we send tons of
newsletters every day... all of them HTML emails.. now as far as sending
them, I don't how they send them at work, but the way I usu. do it is load
it in browser and then do file --send --page by e-mail.. is this best
way to do this? (yes of course this is a proper way to test, but you can't
really know how it'll look for everyone.. but I guess Harlan is right, if
it looks ok in Outlook and a mozilla-based client (such as Thunderbird) it
should look ok in most situations.. thank you for your response..

if you're only sending one or two emails a day to a few people, then doing
it the way you are now is fine.
however if your doing many mails to many recipients, then some sort of
script or mail merge would be better. I've never used mail merge before so
not sure how to do that. I run my mailshot through an smtp server and use
my own php script to generate the emails. both these solutions also allow
you to limit the sent-to email address to just one person, this helps
maintain privacy. of course if you go the php route you need access to a web
server with php installed.

Phil

[axlq]

In article <44***********************@news.sunsite.dk>,
maya <ma********@yahoo.comwrote:

>Even some web mail services (Yahoo, for one) will block images, mostly
to prevent email tracking, so image maps could be a real problem.

yes, I have noticed that some web mail services (even webmail for my own
POP acct) does that (and there's usu a msg saying "for your privacy we
have deleted this image" or something like that.. why is this? what is
"e-mail tracking"? how are images used to do this?

The images are stored on the sender's server. The image URL in the
mail is keyed with a unique code that identifies the recipient, when
the recipient's mail reader requests the image. This allows the
sender to track who actually opened the mail, simply by looking at
her own server logs.

Of course, this strategy is rendered useless by modern mail clients
(including gmail and yahoo mail) who don't automatically download
the images by default.

>yes I know, but well, folks in the corp world are very fond of sending
HTML e-mails.. I just follow orders...;)

Folks in the corporate world are fond of many things, but that
doesn't mean those things are correct. That said, I think HTML
may be appropriate for some newsletters. However, it's abused so
much by spammers that many people will block HTML mail. I do. I
whitelist a few subscribed newsletters who aren't capable of sending
plaintext.

>I don't how they send them at work, but the way I usu. do
it is load it in browser and then do file --send --page by e-mail..

That's fine for sending to one or two people at a time, and the
recipients probably know you, so they don't mind getting your HTML mail.

-A

[David E. Ross]

maya wrote:

hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags (as
in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I figured
it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do client-side
image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general guidelines for
HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML e-mails? (I look @ pg
in browser, of course, but well, how to tell how it'll look in diverse
e-mail clients?)

thank you..

If this is a newsletter, do it as a Web page, not in an E-mail message.
Then broadcast a very brief E-mail message with a link to the Web page
to inform your audience that a new edition of the newsletter is
available. Tell your employer that your audience will appreciate this
more than having to download long E-mail messages.

According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.

--

David E. Ross
<http://www.rossde.com/>

Concerned about someone (e.g., Pres. Bush) snooping
into your E-mail? Use PGP.
See my <http://www.rossde.com/PGP/>

[Jack]

maya wrote:

hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags
(as in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I
figured it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do
client-side image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general
guidelines for HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML
e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of course, but well, how to tell
how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

You could try opening the HTML-formatted email in diverse email clients.
I can't think of a better way of testing it.

Remember to test it in email clients that refuse to render HTML, and
email clients set to display text/plain mime components only (such as my
own). Also, consider drawing your client's attention to the fact that
HTML-formatted email is more likely to fall foul of anti-spam filtering;
and that many people find HTML-formatted email annoying, even if it
isn't spam.
--
Jack.
http://www.jackpot.uk.net/

[Dr John Stockton]

JRS: In article <A9******************************@iswest.net>, dated
Wed, 26 Jul 2006 10:27:13 remote, seen in news:comp.infosystems.www.auth
oring.html, David E. Ross <no****@nowhere.notposted :

>
According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.

Are you sure that you have a valid argument there? More than half of
those who access the Internet from home are not in America.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ??*@merlyn.demon.co.uk Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/- FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.
Check boilerplate spelling -- error is a public sign of incompetence.
Never fully trust an article from a poster who gives no full real name.

[maya]

Jack wrote:

maya wrote:

>hi,

I'm designing an HTML email for a client.. I know general guidelines
(no CSS, no JavaScript... although I do use limited CSS, inside tags
(as in <span style=".."we do this at work and it works fine, so I
figured it's ok..)

but I have a few more questions, for example, is it ok to do
client-side image-maps? is there a web page somewhere with general
guidelines for HTML e-mails? (and what is best way to test HTML
e-mails? (I look @ pg in browser, of course, but well, how to tell
how it'll look in diverse e-mail clients?)

You could try opening the HTML-formatted email in diverse email clients.
I can't think of a better way of testing it.

Remember to test it in email clients that refuse to render HTML, and
email clients set to display text/plain mime components only (such as my
own). Also, consider drawing your client's attention to the fact that
HTML-formatted email is more likely to fall foul of anti-spam filtering;
and that many people find HTML-formatted email annoying, even if it
isn't spam.

just found out at work we do send out plain text and HTML versions (and
they have me do plain-txt version also in addition to the HTML when am
cutting them from PS mockups..)

I have one more question, however, which is that when I go to HTML page
in IE and do file --send --page by email, MS Outlook sends it as an
attachment, not as page you can see in body of email.. (I don't know
how they send their g'zillion marketing and newsletter emails here, but
at least I would like to test them like this..)
in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)

many thanks to all for your responses..

[GEO Me]

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 21:34:02 +0100, Dr John Stockton
<jr*@merlyn.demon.co.ukwrote:

>David E. Ross <no****@nowhere.notposted :
According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.

>Are you sure that you have a valid argument there? More than half of
those who access the Internet from home are not in America.

Here are some stats on US usage:

<http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm>

Geo

[Dan]

maya wrote:

in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)

Mozilla SeaMonkey Suite has a "File -send page" option, but it too
sends it as an attachment.

--
Dan

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.comwriting
in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

I have one more question, however, which is that when I go to HTML page
in IE and do file --send --page by email, MS Outlook sends it as an
attachment, not as page you can see in body of email.. (I don't know
how they send their g'zillion marketing and newsletter emails here, but
at least I would like to test them like this..)
in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)

They may be using something like GroupMail by Infacta
<http://www.infacta.com/>. With that program, you give it the HTML file,
the program creates the email, and sends it out to the lists.

--
Adrienne Boswell at Home
Arbpen Web Site Design Services
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

[maya]

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.comwriting
in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

>I have one more question, however, which is that when I go to HTML page
in IE and do file --send --page by email, MS Outlook sends it as an
attachment, not as page you can see in body of email.. (I don't know
how they send their g'zillion marketing and newsletter emails here, but
at least I would like to test them like this..)
in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)

They may be using something like GroupMail by Infacta
<http://www.infacta.com/>. With that program, you give it the HTML file,
the program creates the email, and sends it out to the lists.

thank you very much for yr response.. do you know if there's a freeware
app out there does something like this?

[Adrienne Boswell]

maya wote:

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.comwriting
in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

I have one more question, however, which is that when I go to HTML page
in IE and do file --send --page by email, MS Outlook sends it as an
attachment, not as page you can see in body of email.. (I don't know
how they send their g'zillion marketing and newsletter emails here, but
at least I would like to test them like this..)
in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)

They may be using something like GroupMail by Infacta
<http://www.infacta.com/>. With that program, you give it the HTML file,
the program creates the email, and sends it out to the lists.

thank you very much for yr response.. do you know if there's a freeware
app out there does something like this?

This is one of those things that you probably are not going to find as
freeware, probably because these programs are built with corporations
in mind, and corporations can usually spend some dough.

It's also a question of you get what you pay for. Infacta will let you
use GroupMail for free, but limits the amount of people you can send
mail to (IIRC it's ten). I'm sure others are just the same.

--
Adrienne Boswell at work
Administrator nextBlock.com
http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/
Please respond to the group so others can share

[Dr John Stockton]

JRS: In article <44***************@news.telus.net>, dated Thu, 27 Jul
2006 21:20:25 remote, seen in news:comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html,
"GEO"[e-mail] posted :

>On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 21:34:02 +0100, Dr John Stockton
<jr*@merlyn.demon.co.ukwrote:

>>David E. Ross <no****@nowhere.notposted :
According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.

>>Are you sure that you have a valid argument there? More than half of
those who access the Internet from home are not in America.

Here are some stats on US usage:

<http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm>

In estimating the proportion of home users who use dial-up, the
proportion in the USA becomes less and less relevant as the proportion
of world-wide home Internet users who happen to be in the USA dwindles.

Or do you assert that the USA is necessarily typical?

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://www.jibbering.com/faq/>? JL/RC: FAQ of news:comp.lang.javascript
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/js-index.htmjscr maths, dates, sources.
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items, links.

[maya]

Dr John Stockton wrote:

JRS: In article <44***************@news.telus.net>, dated Thu, 27 Jul
2006 21:20:25 remote, seen in news:comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html,
"GEO"[e-mail] posted :

>On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 21:34:02 +0100, Dr John Stockton
<jr*@merlyn.demon.co.ukwrote:

>>>David E. Ross <no****@nowhere.notposted :
According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.
Are you sure that you have a valid argument there? More than half of
those who access the Internet from home are not in America.

Here are some stats on US usage:

<http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm>

In estimating the proportion of home users who use dial-up, the
proportion in the USA becomes less and less relevant as the proportion
of world-wide home Internet users who happen to be in the USA dwindles.

I think Americans assume most folks in other countries, esp in less
developed countries, are on dial-up.. I'm from Chile, everybody there
is on broadband, dial-up doesn't even exist anymore there..

[maya]

Adrienne Boswell wrote:

maya wote:

>Adrienne Boswell wrote:

>>Gazing into my crystal ball I observed maya <ma********@yahoo.comwriting
in news:44***********************@news.sunsite.dk:

I have one more question, however, which is that when I go to HTML page
in IE and do file --send --page by email, MS Outlook sends it as an
attachment, not as page you can see in body of email.. (I don't know
how they send their g'zillion marketing and newsletter emails here, but
at least I would like to test them like this..)
in FF there's no send-pg option, just file --send link... (??)
They may be using something like GroupMail by Infacta
<http://www.infacta.com/>. With that program, you give it the HTML file,
the program creates the email, and sends it out to the lists.

thank you very much for yr response.. do you know if there's a freeware
app out there does something like this?

This is one of those things that you probably are not going to find as
freeware, probably because these programs are built with corporations
in mind, and corporations can usually spend some dough.

It's also a question of you get what you pay for. Infacta will let you
use GroupMail for free, but limits the amount of people you can send
mail to (IIRC it's ten). I'm sure others are just the same.

thank you... actually I figured out how to do it from email client,
just copy entire HTML (right from browser); tested it, it works fine (of
course HTML pg has to be properly coded (no CSS-layouts, absolute paths
to imgs, etc...)

thank you all very much...

[Andy Mabbett]

In message <44***********************@news.sunsite.dk>, maya
<ma********@yahoo.comwrites

>I think Americans assume most folks in other countries, esp in less
developed countries, are on dial-up..

In my experience, many Americans assume that people in other countries
are in America :-(
--
Andy Mabbett
Say "NO!" to compulsory ID Cards: <http://www.no2id.net/>

Free Our Data: <http://www.freeourdata.org.uk>

[GEO Me]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:04:11 +0100, Dr John Stockton
<jr*@merlyn.demon.co.ukwrote:

David E. Ross <no****@nowhere.notposted :

>>>>According to a study by the Congressional Accountability Office less
than a year ago, more than half of those who access the Internet from
home still do so via dial-up modems.

Dr John Stockton:

>>>Are you sure that you have a valid argument there? More than half of
those who access the Internet from home are not in America.

"GEO"[e-mail] posted :

> Here are some stats on US usage:
<http://www.internetworldstats.com/am/us.htm>

In estimating the proportion of home users who use dial-up, the
proportion in the USA becomes less and less relevant as the proportion
of world-wide home Internet users who happen to be in the USA dwindles.

I'll wait for David E. Ross to clarify his point, but in the
meantime I'll say that about a year ago (may be more) there was a
Canadian news report that said that just under half of Canadians use
dial-up conections. I believe it added that it was mainly in rural
communities. I believe there is a similar situation in rural USA.

>Or do you assert that the USA is necessarily typical?

I guess that if one wanted to reach a world wide audience, one
should look how that audience is connecting. I just posted the USA
stats because I assumed that the study quoted by David E. Ross was
about the USA.

Geo

[GEO Me]

On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:13:30 -0400, maya <ma********@yahoo.comwrote:

>In estimating the proportion of home users who use dial-up, the
proportion in the USA becomes less and less relevant as the proportion
of world-wide home Internet users who happen to be in the USA dwindles.

>I think Americans assume most folks in other countries, esp in less
developed countries, are on dial-up.. I'm from Chile, everybody there
is on broadband, dial-up doesn't even exist anymore there..

Many Chileans are not very aware of their own reality, or better
said, the reality of others around them.
Can you tell me what sort of competition was there between different
companies that provided dial-up conection? How many different phone
companies that compited fairly with each other? Any comments regarding
the business practices of Terra?

What is the name of the island off Puerto Montt's coast where a
school with no electricity, and with just one telephone for the whole
island, received a donation of computers? How many fishes have they
sold on the internet?

Geo