We are spending many extra hours each week fixing the posts so they appear
clean in the digest. Your help in this would be appreciated.
Email messages that include html code cause problems for the list. Here is
an explanation of the problem and instructions for how to avoid it.
Many of the newer email programs (Eudora, Microsoft Outlook/Outlook
Express, Netscape) encourage users to send email containing multiple fonts,
embedded pictures, etc. This is called such things as "rich text", "styled
text", "html mail". The actual message sent will contain at least two
parts. The first is a plain text version of the message, the second is the
same text with embedded html tags. If there are pictures or address cards
attached, there will be more parts.
As individual messages, html mail causes few problems. The recipient's
email program will display the message as sent if it is capable (and
enabled), if not, it will display the plain text version and hide the html
version. Some older email programs, though, will not understand the
encoding and will show both the plain text and the html-encoded version of
the message.
When an html email is incorporated into a list digest, it is not handled
correctly. The raw html codes appear as plain text, adding garbage to the
digest. Attached pictures are seen as in encoded form - long strings of
letters and numbers. Those of you receiving bread-bakers might have seen
this ... sometimes we don't catch them and they appear in the digest.
It is not difficult to configure your email program to send messages to
bread-bakers as plain text. We VERY STRONGLY request all of you to make
these changes so that all messages sent to the list are plain text messages.
Microsoft Outlook
=================
If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express to send email, you have two
choices. You can create an entry in the Address Book for bread-bakers. On
the Name tab of the Properties for the bread-bakers entry, there is a
checkbox at the bottom left labeled "Send E-Mail using plain text
only.". This box should be checked. If you already have an Address Book
entry for bread-bakers, select the bread-bakers entry in the Address Book
and then select File/Properties and then click the Name tab. If you create
a new entry for bread-bakers, the Name tab will be presented to you to
fill out. The other way to send plain text from Outlook is to first begin
the message. Then select the Format menu and click the "Plain Text" item.
Netscape
========
If you use Netscape email, the options are similar. In the Address Book,
the Name tab of an address card has a checkbox labeled "Prefers to receive
rich text (HTML) mail". This box should NOT be checked. You are presented
with this tab when you create a new card. If the card already exists,
select it in the Address Book and then select Edit/Card
properties. Alternatively, begin a new message to bread-bakers then click
the "Message Sending Options" tab in the "Addressing Area" (select
View/Show Addressing Area if you can't see this) and then select "Plain
Text" from the Format option box.
Eudora
======
If you use Eudora, select the Tools/Options menu item, then select "Styled
Text". Under the "When sending mail with styled text (HTML):" heading,
check the "Ask me each time" box. Uncheck the "Send the signature with
styles" box.
If you never want to send html mail, check the "Send plain text only"
box. Alternatively, write the message to
bread-bakers and before sending (or queuing) it, select all the text in the
message (using CTRL-A or the Edit/Select All menu item) and then click the
"Clear Formatting" button on the formatting bar. If you can't see the
formatting bar, check the "Show formatting bar" box in Tools/Options/Styled
Text page.
We thank you for your cooperation.
Reggie & Jeff