Re: No subset for email

On Mar 12, 2007, at 5:34 AM, Arnt Gulbrandsen wrote:

>
> Gregory Woodhouse writes:
>> Now, that's interesting: Are web-based e-mail applications (which  
>> are increasingly common) really distinguishable from other web- 
>> based applications? I don't see how they could be.
>
> They are distinguished by having to display HTML/CSS email received  
> from spammers, phishers and other fellow citizens. Many other web- 
> based applications have no comparable threat.
>
> But now that you say it, I suppose a malevolent email message could  
> impersonate some other UIs, not only webmail UIs.
>
> Arnt
>

Yes, but what I had in mind is that a web-based e-mail application is  
just a web-based application, so there is no (non-voluntary) means of  
restricting just those applications. i suppose that leaves the  
unfortunate option of restricting he content of e-mail. Now, that's  
been tried before (with rich text), without much (if any) success. At  
least one reason why is obvious: If a small subset of HTML is  
crystallized as part of the standard, it will rapidly fall behind the  
rest of HTML. I don't see how we can realistically say that  
mechanisms like stylesheets cannot be used when what users want is  
improved presentation (and yes, the ability to hyperlink to other  
documents).

Gregory Woodhouse
gregory.woodhouse@sbcglobal.net

"We may with advantage at times forget what we know."
--Publilius Cyrus, c. 100 B.C.