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"How about you use a mail client from this century." --IT at a place I worked. Context: I was using Mutt to do email, and one day I found that Exchange was con

"How about you use a mail client from this century." --IT at a place I worked. Context: I was using Mutt to do email, and one day I found that Exchange was configured to send only HTML versions of each message. If it received a plain text message, it would convert it to HTML -- including changing things like ":)" into J in Microsoft Symbol font or Webdings or whatever it was. Typically in an HTML mail environment, the plain text and HTML versions would both be sent as separate MIME attachments, but in this setup, only the HTML was included. I filed a ticket, requesting that plain text messages be enabled so I could read them easily in Mutt. This snippy remark was the only response from IT. So if you use a client like Mutt, be warned: nobody these days feels any obligation to support your retro email experience.

mixedmath 4y ago
I routinely work with people using screen readers and for whom plain text email is perfect, while HTML email is a minefield of unreadability. It's worse that different email providers use different, inconsistent, and variable HTML formats. The more I work with people using accessibility tools, the more I realize that web accessibility is an afterthought (if thought about at all).
- mxuribe 4y ago
  > ...web accessibility is an afterthought (if thought about at all). Sadly, yes, it is almost never thought about by developers or business stakeholders....But, there are legitimate offerings (such as plenty of html elements and atributes) that exist/can be leveraged. The only way that i ahve been able to get folks on board to leverage such offerings is to say something like: Oh, but it will help with SEO to a degree. And, then, almost immediately, busiess folks want to throw money at adding accessibility elements...Sad really, when folks who need this stuff, and can benefit most from it, don't get thought of.
imiric 4y ago
> If it received a plain text message, it would convert it to HTML -- including changing things like ":)" into J in Microsoft Symbol font or Webdings or whatever it was. Ah, that's what that was! Many years ago I was experimenting with alternative clients for corporate email, and remember being confused by those J characters, usually at the end of emails. Never figured it out, so thanks for solving that mystery. J

mixedmath 4y ago

I routinely work with people using screen readers and for whom plain text email is perfect, while HTML email is a minefield of unreadability. It's worse that different email providers use different, inconsistent, and variable HTML formats. The more I work with people using accessibility tools, the more I realize that web accessibility is an afterthought (if thought about at all).

mxuribe 4y ago
> ...web accessibility is an afterthought (if thought about at all). Sadly, yes, it is almost never thought about by developers or business stakeholders....But, there are legitimate offerings (such as plenty of html elements and atributes) that exist/can be leveraged. The only way that i ahve been able to get folks on board to leverage such offerings is to say something like: Oh, but it will help with SEO to a degree. And, then, almost immediately, busiess folks want to throw money at adding accessibility elements...Sad really, when folks who need this stuff, and can benefit most from it, don't get thought of.

imiric 4y ago

> If it received a plain text message, it would convert it to HTML -- including changing things like ":)" into J in Microsoft Symbol font or Webdings or whatever it was. Ah, that's what that was! Many years ago I was experimenting with alternative clients for corporate email, and remember being confused by those J characters, usually at the end of emails. Never figured it out, so thanks for solving that mystery. J