CentOS - Feb 2018 - Slightly OT : newsletters, mail formatting and netiquette

Hi,

This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful of
clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.

For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that mails
should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I wonder
if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.

I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I couldn't
help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those from
respectable hardcore geek groups.

So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
newsletters?

Cheers,

Niki
-- 
Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
Mail : info at microlinux.fr
T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32

Not only is it acceptable, but it has become the norm unfortunately.

If you do switch to HTML format, bare in mind it may have consequences on how
other servers label you (or not) as SPAM, so do a few thorough test rounds.

--
Sent from the Delta quadrant using Borg technology!

Nux!
www.nux.ro

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Nicolas Kovacs" <info at microlinux.fr>
> To: "CentOS mailing list" <centos at centos.org>
> Sent: Friday, 2 February, 2018 09:36:14
> Subject: [CentOS] Slightly OT : newsletters, mail formatting and netiquette
> Hi,
> 
> This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
> goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful of
> clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.
> 
> For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that mails
> should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I wonder
> if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.
> 
> I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I
couldn't
> help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those from
> respectable hardcore geek groups.
> 
> So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
> newsletters?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Niki
> --
> Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
> 7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
> Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
> Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
> Mail : info at microlinux.fr
> T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

Look into mutipart and offer both html and plain text in the same email.
This allows the client to view it as they see fit.

If you do send html it has a much more restrictive implementation than html
and css for a webpage so study up on what you can and can't do.
Mailchimp has some great info about this.

Cameron

On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 1:36 AM, Nicolas Kovacs <info at microlinux.fr>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
> goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful of
> clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.
>
> For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that mails
> should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I wonder
> if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.
>
> I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I
couldn't
> help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those from
> respectable hardcore geek groups.
>
> So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
> newsletters?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Niki
> --
> Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
> 7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
> Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
> Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
> Mail : info at microlinux.fr
> T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>

Cameron Smith wrote:
> Look into mutipart and offer both html and plain text in the same email.
> This allows the client to view it as they see fit.
>
> If you do send html it has a much more restrictive implementation than
> html
> and css for a webpage so study up on what you can and can't do.
> Mailchimp has some great info about this.
>
Personally, I'd suggest giving the subscribers the *option* of either. I
really dislike HTML email, and even when I can read it, it's *really*
ugly.

But then, I also consider HTML email a *great* way to spread malware.

        mark
> Cameron
>
> On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 1:36 AM, Nicolas Kovacs <info at
microlinux.fr> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
>> goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful
of
>> clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.
>>
>> For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that
mails
>> should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I
wonder
>> if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.
>>
>> I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I
couldn't
>> help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those
from
>> respectable hardcore geek groups.
>>
>> So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
>> newsletters?
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Niki
>> --
>> Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
>> 7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
>> Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
>> Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
>> Mail : info at microlinux.fr
>> T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32
>> _______________________________________________
>> CentOS mailing list
>> CentOS at centos.org
>> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>>
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> https://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>

I would prefer simple text in tech and security related news but you are right -
they are HTML formatted. I think it is pure marketing thing. people dump other
stuff to remind you who they are and for a sort of entertaining us.

The same story is in OS desktop GUI including Linux. I use CentOS 6 and 7 and
still do not like 7. Not to mention in the morning Win 10 with all its crap
included.


Mikhail Utin


________________________________
From: CentOS <centos-bounces at centos.org> on behalf of Nicolas Kovacs
<info at microlinux.fr>
Sent: Friday, February 2, 2018 04:36
To: centos at centos.org
Subject: [CentOS] Slightly OT : newsletters, mail formatting and netiquette

Hi,

This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful of
clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.

For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that mails
should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I wonder
if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.

I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I couldn't
help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those from
respectable hardcore geek groups.

So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
newsletters?

Cheers,

Niki
--
Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
[https://s0.wp.com/i/blank.jpg]<https://www.microlinux.fr/>

Microlinux ? Solutions informatiques durables ? Linux et
...<https://www.microlinux.fr/>
www.microlinux.fr
Microlinux a apport? la solution id?ale pour ma soci?t? : une station de travail
ultra-stable, avec une utilisation d?emploi tr?s simple.



Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
[https://s0.wp.com/i/blank.jpg]<https://blog.microlinux.fr/>

Le blog technique de Microlinux | Linux est long et la vie
...<https://blog.microlinux.fr/>
blog.microlinux.fr
Linux est long et la vie est br?ve



Mail : info at microlinux.fr
T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32
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Le 02/02/2018 ? 16:03, Mikhail Utin a ?crit :
> The same story is in OS desktop GUI including Linux. I use CentOS 6
> and 7 and still do not like 7. Not to mention in the morning Win 10
> with all its crap included.
On a side note, I've written a complete post-install script for CentOS 7
and an Xfce-based bells-and-whistles desktop that starts from a minimal
installation.

https://blog.microlinux.fr/poste-de-travail-xfce-centos-7/

And here's the script:

https://github.com/kikinovak/centos-7-desktop-xfce

Cheers,

Niki

-- 
Microlinux - Solutions informatiques durables
7, place de l'?glise - 30730 Montpezat
Site : https://www.microlinux.fr
Blog : https://blog.microlinux.fr
Mail : info at microlinux.fr
T?l. : 04 66 63 10 32

Nicolas Kovacs wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> This question is not exactly CentOS-related strictly speaking, but here
> goes. I'm running a few newsletter servers for myself and a handful of
> clients on public CentOS servers with PHPList.
> 
> For the last twenty years or so I've followed the basic rule that mails
> should have no formatting whatsoever, only simple text. And now I wonder
> if that basic rule of netiquette also applies to newsletters.
> 
> I'm a subscriber to a series of tech-related newsletters, and I
couldn't
> help but notice that they all seem to be HTML-formatted, even those from
> respectable hardcore geek groups.
> 
> So my somewhat naive question: is HTML formatting acceptable in
> newsletters?
Most so-called "newsletters" nowadays are only a collection of URLs
and do not
contain any news or any information at all.  That totally defeats the purpose
of a newsletter and makes them entirely useless.

So no, it?s unacceptable.  HTML mail automatically goes into my spam folder
anyway, and I avoid subscribing to so-called "newsletters".