3 ms·

> Tables were bad because they were too rigid and weren't designed for layout purposes; they do still get used when you want to display an actual table. And wh

> Tables were bad because they were too rigid and weren't designed for layout purposes; they do still get used when you want to display an actual table. And when you have to implement a email design someone gave you who think it’s more important to have it look a certain way then to implement it reliable.

mattkevan 8y ago
That’s because the rendering engines in email software are crap, not due to a deficiency in CSS - I think Outlook still uses Word’s HTML renderer and even Gmail doesn’t support everything.
- worble 8y ago
  In all fairness that's probably a good thing. God forbid if emails today were like the rest of the web, hijacking the scrollbar, constant popups to register, like and subscribe. I like my emails like I like my actual mail; text and maybe the odd image.
  - pbhjpbhj 8y ago
    I've got to disagree. Your preference for text emails doesn't mean those who do want rich-text or HTML should have to put up with crappy rendering that requires specialist developers. I don't understand why HTML payloads can't just be loaded in a (streamlined) browser pane?
    - mattkevan 8y ago
      Agreed. Rendering HTML and CSS in a vaguely standards-compliant way is surely a solved problem by now. Javascript should stay firmly blocked though.
    - _bxg1 8y ago
      They are; it just tends to be a really crappy browser pane that isn't based on (and therefore kept up to date with) any major browser, so writing the HTML and CSS is like being transported back to 2004
      - mattkevan 8y ago
        Dunno why Gmail doesn’t support everything. It’s in a modern browser already! https://templates.mailchimp.com/resources/email-client-css-support/ https://templates.mailchimp.com/resources/email-client-css-s...
  - Semaphor 8y ago
    > hijacking the scrollbar, constant popups to register, like and subscribe. Those are JS related, I don't think anyone is asking for renderers to allow that. But proper CSS support would be nice.

mattkevan 8y ago

That’s because the rendering engines in email software are crap, not due to a deficiency in CSS - I think Outlook still uses Word’s HTML renderer and even Gmail doesn’t support everything.

worble 8y ago
In all fairness that's probably a good thing. God forbid if emails today were like the rest of the web, hijacking the scrollbar, constant popups to register, like and subscribe. I like my emails like I like my actual mail; text and maybe the odd image.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  I've got to disagree. Your preference for text emails doesn't mean those who do want rich-text or HTML should have to put up with crappy rendering that requires specialist developers. I don't understand why HTML payloads can't just be loaded in a (streamlined) browser pane?
  - mattkevan 8y ago
    Agreed. Rendering HTML and CSS in a vaguely standards-compliant way is surely a solved problem by now. Javascript should stay firmly blocked though.
  - _bxg1 8y ago
    They are; it just tends to be a really crappy browser pane that isn't based on (and therefore kept up to date with) any major browser, so writing the HTML and CSS is like being transported back to 2004
    - mattkevan 8y ago
      Dunno why Gmail doesn’t support everything. It’s in a modern browser already! https://templates.mailchimp.com/resources/email-client-css-support/ https://templates.mailchimp.com/resources/email-client-css-s...
- Semaphor 8y ago
  > hijacking the scrollbar, constant popups to register, like and subscribe. Those are JS related, I don't think anyone is asking for renderers to allow that. But proper CSS support would be nice.