NOT OT: re plain text vs HTML - DRUPAL User HTML/TEXT Settings at SIGNUP

Tue Feb 3 13:36:01 MST 2009

The 'input format' option doesn't make a lot of sense to me.   
Specifying an email as plaintext, html, multipart, etc, is done by the  
mail client, not by the mailing list that distributes the message  
(mailman) or by an integrated CMS (Drupal).  This looks like  
configuration for how system admins can send messages to all site users.

If users choose to send a message containing only HTML, that's  
unfortunate.  It's not any harder to sent a multi-part email which  
will be much easier for text-to-speech and other non-visual clients to  
use.  Configuring that has been easy in the mail clients I've used  
recently (Apple Mail and Thunderbird).  But I don't think the Drupal  
config posted below has any bearing on that issue.  What am I missing?

The mailman options I see for my list subscription allow me to select  
a mime or plaintext digest, if I want to get a digest version of the  
list.  Other than than, I don't see any delivery-format options at http://lists.plug.phoenix.az.us/mailman/options/plug-discuss/ 
<your email address here>.

alex

On Feb 3, 2009, at 11:38 AM, Lisa Kachold wrote:

> HTML Email:
>
> As you can see below, Drupal can be configured for HTML only mimemail.
> If Drupal is installed correctly and permissions allow, users can  
> choose HTML mail during signup.
>
> MimeMail plugin is only available for Drupal 4.7 http://drupal.org/project/Modules/category/64
> Here's the Mailman plugin for Drupal 5/6:http://webscripts.softpedia.com/script/Modules/Drupal-Modules/User-mailman-register-47712.html
>
> Here's what the configuration looks like:
>
> From http://hackfest.obnosis.com (Drupal 5.3) and http://l0calh0st.obnosis.com 
>  (Drupal 6.5)
> Mail
> Please choose a mail engine.
> E-mail address:
> A valid e-mail address for this website, used by the auto-mailer  
> during registration, new password requests, notifications, etc.
>  Use mime mail for all messages
> Use the mime mail module to deliver all site messages. With this  
> option, system emails will have styles and formatting
> Input format
>  Filtered HTML
> 	• Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links  
> automatically.
> 	• Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li>  
> <dl> <dt> <dd>
> 	• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
>  PHP code
> 	• You may post PHP code. You should include <?php ?> tags.
>  Full HTML
> 	• Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links  
> automatically.
> 	• Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
> 	• Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li>  
> <dl> <dt> <dd>
> 	• You may post PHP code. You should include <?php ?> tags.
>  MediaWiki markup
> More information about formatting options
>  Plaintext email only
> This option disables the use of email messages with graphics and  
> styles. All messages will be converted to plain text.
> Advanced Settings
>  Process incoming messages posted to this site
> This is an advanced setting that should not be enabled unless you  
> know what you are doing
> Message validation string: *
> This string will be used to validate incoming messages. It can be  
> anything, but must be used on both sides of the transfer
> E-mail engine: Mime Mail - Default mailing engine using  
> drupal_mail().SMTP - SMTP mailing engine using SMTP module.
> Choose an e-mail engine for sending mails from your site.
>
> So, that's using the mimemail plugin and the choices are defined in  
> the USER SETTINGs at the signup site.
>
> For Administrators, multiple mailing lists can be easily setup and  
> administered via Drupal.
>
>
> http://www.Obnosis.com |  (503)754-4452
> http://l0calh0st.obnosis.com | http://wiki.obnosis.com | http://hackfest.obnosis.com 
>  | http://nuke.obnosis.com
> PLUG HACKFESTS - http://uat.edu Second Saturday Every Month at Noon - 3PM
>
>
>
>
> > Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 10:31:13 -0700
> > Subject: NOT OT: re plain text vs HTML
> > From: lthielster at gmail.com
> > To: plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> >
> > Technomage wrote:
> > >There are, in fact, a few of us (like me) who use text only  
> readers for
> > >various reasons (such as visual impairment) and html formatted  
> messages
> > >are definitely the bane of out existence.
> > >
> > >its been proper etiquette on the internet since its inception  
> that mail
> > >usually is plain text and if you wish to send media (pictures,  
> etc) that
> > >its attached (in mime printable form). this may seem archaic, but  
> it
> > >generally works out well for most of us.
> > >
> > >now my client here can read html formatted messages, but the speech
> > >device will not read me the output, instead it will read the  
> underlying
> > >source of the text (which gets noisy, frustrating, and tends to  
> have me
> > >filter such without even reading it)
> > >
> > >I, for one, have a problem with such mails and tend to filter  
> them into
> > >the junk box. if anything important gets in there, its gone (if its
> > >really important, the sender will have sent as plain text with an  
> html
> > >attachment <preferred>. this way, I can still read it and those  
> with
> > >extra features can use the html to their own contentment).
> > >
> > >sorry of I may seem a bit terse toward those using html formatted  
> text
> > >messages, but you folks should be aware there are almost 30 million
> > >others like me and we would rather not have our lives made any  
> harder
> > >than it already is.
> >
> > Finally a good reason to use plain text as opposed to reasons to  
> avoid
> > HTML. I confess this had not occurred to me. I would have think that
> > modern text readers would read HTML embedded text without source  
> tags
> > etc. even had I thought about it. If there are not, there certainly
> > need to be. Sounds like an opportunity for someone.
> >
> > I use gmail for this list and a few other things. gmail really has  
> no
> > formatting means for plain text which is one reason to prefer the
> > "Rich formatting" option. To even include technomages comment as
> > "quoted" I had to manually insert the symbols on each line. Other
> > email clients offer more formatting tools for plain text. Sounds  
> like
> > a suggestion to send to google.
> >
> > For most email I use Thunderbird. Thunderbird has an option that  
> says
> > "When sending messages in HTML and one or more recipients are not
> > listed as being able to receive HTML:"
> > - Ask me what to do
> > - Convert the message to plain text
> > - Send the message in HTML anyway
> > - Send the message in both plain text and HTML
> >
> > I think the last option is the default, but all I know for sure is
> > that is what mine is set to. I never checked whether that means it
> > sends both to all recipients or separate sends for plain text
> > recipients. Would that email had something similar.
> >
> > **** Technomage, do you know if your reader works right for a  
> message
> > that Thunderbird sends with that 4th option?
> >
> > The Tbird address book allows you to specify for each recipient what
> > format they prefer. I notice also that the send options in
> > Thunderbird allow format selection based on the destination domain.
> > Mine shows a number of domains under HTML, but none under Plain Text
> > --
> > Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only
> > animal that is struck with the difference between what things are  
> and
> > what they ought to be.
> > - William Hazlitt
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