Re: Text email newsletter standard

bart and all,

You can save a message in plain text but then, you loose the navagability 
that this standard provides.  There are still numbers of people who cannot 
take full advanteg of structured html email.  There are actually still 
numbers of people who cannot take advantage of structured html on the web, 
but there, we are talking about html.  Text then can be more widely used 
than html in all but the web.  I do agree though, give folk a choice and in 
fact, if you create the letter in text first, it is easier to wrap it in 
html.

Johnnie Apple Seed

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bart Simons" <bart.simons@ascii.be>
To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 5:26 AM
Subject: RE: Text email newsletter standard



> From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
> Behalf Of david poehlman
>
> I'll put it this way.  Plain text can be managed in far more ways
> than html can

I can't support this statement. I think it depends on the document but a
well-structured HTML document has my preference over a plain text file. With
a recent screenreader there is no better format than HTML to consult
information in a table or which allows to navigate easily from one section
to the next. The same holds for forms as well but they are rarely found in a
newsletter context.
I tend to produce documents in HTML format since some time and would be
happy to convince our company staff to substitute Word templates with HTML
equivalents.

By the way, every HTML document can be saved in plain text if you prefer
that format.

I support your arguments of longer download time and virus danger so I am in
favour of the compromise: start with sending out text mails and provide the
alternative to read an HTML version on line.

Kind regards
--
Bart Simons
Web Accessibility Specialist
ASCII - European e-government content solutions
Rue de Trèves, 49-51, Trierstraat
Bruxelles, B-1040 Brussel
Phone: +32.2.235.00.46
E-mail: bart.simons@ascii.be

Received on Thursday, 9 December 2004 14:37:34 UTC