5 ms·

Why can't emails just be text :(

blowski 13y ago
Newsletters should include a text version as well, and you can set your client to show that instead of the HTML. "Normal" users (i.e. the non-geeks) do seem to prefer HTML emails, and in usability studies, A/B testing, and deliverability reports, HTML emails usually outperform text. In short, HTML emails are better for and preferred by recipients and senders in all but edge cases.
- ams6110 13y ago
  I find that sadly, more and more HTML email does not include a plain text part. I realize I'm in in a small minority of people who don't use a graphical email app. But if you care about that at all (and you probably should so that you also make life easier for your visually impaired clients who use screen readers) you should include plain text. Otherwise I simply won't read the email that you spent so much time and effort painstakingly formatting.
  - victorhooi 13y ago
    Unfortunately, you appear to be a minority. Look, it's all well and good to say "I'm 1337! I use Mutt, or I use Links!". But let's be honest, the majority of people are not going to use a text mode web browser or a text mode email client. And this isn't something you're born with, like a vision impairment, so people need to make a website accessible for you. This is a personal preference. Hence, as much as some of us neckbeards might like to go back to a works where 256 colours was the bomb =), the rest of the world has moved on.
    - alextingle 13y ago
      Text only e-mail is more productive for everyone, in exactly the same way that text only authoring applications are more productive. When you are writing something, fiddling around with the layout is just a distraction. Many people might prefer it, but lots of people also like to play Patience on their workstation rather that getting on with what they are supposed to be doing.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
benihana 13y ago
Because the vast majority of people enjoy pretty emails with non-monospaced fonts, whitespace and colors. It's mostly hackers who want to show off how old school they are that complain about html emails. Also, most emails like this have a text version you can receive - I believe it's necessary for CANSPAM compliance.
- b6 13y ago
  I very much prefer for emails to contain text only, or with HTML only as attachments, and it has absolutely zero to do with any desire to show off to other people. For me, it's all about keeping some control over technology. I tell a very limited program like mutt what to do, and it does it. This is in contrast to begging an incredibly complicated program like a browser to do something, where much of what it is doing is controlled by invisible embedded code written by people who may be hostile toward me.
  - blowski 13y ago
    > For me, it's all about keeping some control over technology. That's fair enough, but you are very much in a minority.
    - Demiurge 13y ago
      Do you know of any usability research or somesuch that confirms this?
      - blowski 13y ago
        I spent some years working at an email-specific agency. They sent more than 5 billion emails during that time for some very big clients, and we did most of the data analysis. They also did a lot of usability testing. I can tell you that on just about every metric - brand recall, clickthrough rates, ROI, unsubscribes - HTML outperformed plain text. There were exceptions, both in terms of types of campaign and types of sender - say, if your list includes lots of Hacker News readers. We found, for example, that including just one image will increase open rates by more than 50% but I can't find it now. Another article on the same topic is here - http://www.alchemyworx.com/alchemy_worx/2009/newsletter/issue7/lp/lp3_email_design_images.html http://www.alchemyworx.com/alchemy_worx/2009/newsletter/issu....
Brajeshwar 13y ago
I have been a text-email lover and html-email hater until early this year (2013). I realize that almost everyone neither have any clue of the difference nor do they care. As mentioned elsewhere in this comment thread, people do love beautiful emails - the html kind. I have dealt with quite a bit of clients and they love to use colors as separation for various degree and scaffolds of conversations. For now, if I'm initiating an email and do not really need to be HTML, I try to stay with text. For other, I just follow the format the current email thread is in.
pbreit 13y ago
HTML can be +much+ more effective than text.
- alextingle 13y ago
  ...at distracting and confusing readers. If your goal is to distract and confuse people, by getting them to click on your ads and buy your products, then use HTML e-mail. If you want to communicate clearly, then stop worrying about layout & typography and concentrate on the words you are writing.
  - pbreit 13y ago
    > If you want to communicate clearly, then stop worrying about layout & typography That's just wrong. Layout and typography are important elements to clear communication.
    - alextingle 13y ago
      Right, because when people are talking to you, all you hear is an incomprehensible stream of blah, blah, blah.
      - pbreit 13y ago
        So do you think a Steve Jobs presentation would be as effective audio-only?
        alextingle 13y ago
        It would be preferable. Does that count?
      - joesb 13y ago
        And people use single tone of voice, never emphasize their voice, and never use hand gesture, right?

Newsletters should include a text version as well, and you can set your client to show that instead of the HTML. "Normal" users (i.e. the non-geeks) do seem to prefer HTML emails, and in usability studies, A/B testing, and deliverability reports, HTML emails usually outperform text. In short, HTML emails are better for and preferred by recipients and senders in all but edge cases.

ams6110 13y ago
I find that sadly, more and more HTML email does not include a plain text part. I realize I'm in in a small minority of people who don't use a graphical email app. But if you care about that at all (and you probably should so that you also make life easier for your visually impaired clients who use screen readers) you should include plain text. Otherwise I simply won't read the email that you spent so much time and effort painstakingly formatting.
- victorhooi 13y ago
  Unfortunately, you appear to be a minority. Look, it's all well and good to say "I'm 1337! I use Mutt, or I use Links!". But let's be honest, the majority of people are not going to use a text mode web browser or a text mode email client. And this isn't something you're born with, like a vision impairment, so people need to make a website accessible for you. This is a personal preference. Hence, as much as some of us neckbeards might like to go back to a works where 256 colours was the bomb =), the rest of the world has moved on.
  - alextingle 13y ago
    Text only e-mail is more productive for everyone, in exactly the same way that text only authoring applications are more productive. When you are writing something, fiddling around with the layout is just a distraction. Many people might prefer it, but lots of people also like to play Patience on their workstation rather that getting on with what they are supposed to be doing.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

benihana 13y ago

Because the vast majority of people enjoy pretty emails with non-monospaced fonts, whitespace and colors. It's mostly hackers who want to show off how old school they are that complain about html emails. Also, most emails like this have a text version you can receive - I believe it's necessary for CANSPAM compliance.

b6 13y ago
I very much prefer for emails to contain text only, or with HTML only as attachments, and it has absolutely zero to do with any desire to show off to other people. For me, it's all about keeping some control over technology. I tell a very limited program like mutt what to do, and it does it. This is in contrast to begging an incredibly complicated program like a browser to do something, where much of what it is doing is controlled by invisible embedded code written by people who may be hostile toward me.
- blowski 13y ago
  > For me, it's all about keeping some control over technology. That's fair enough, but you are very much in a minority.
  - Demiurge 13y ago
    Do you know of any usability research or somesuch that confirms this?
    - blowski 13y ago
      I spent some years working at an email-specific agency. They sent more than 5 billion emails during that time for some very big clients, and we did most of the data analysis. They also did a lot of usability testing. I can tell you that on just about every metric - brand recall, clickthrough rates, ROI, unsubscribes - HTML outperformed plain text. There were exceptions, both in terms of types of campaign and types of sender - say, if your list includes lots of Hacker News readers. We found, for example, that including just one image will increase open rates by more than 50% but I can't find it now. Another article on the same topic is here - http://www.alchemyworx.com/alchemy_worx/2009/newsletter/issue7/lp/lp3_email_design_images.html http://www.alchemyworx.com/alchemy_worx/2009/newsletter/issu....

Brajeshwar 13y ago

I have been a text-email lover and html-email hater until early this year (2013). I realize that almost everyone neither have any clue of the difference nor do they care. As mentioned elsewhere in this comment thread, people do love beautiful emails - the html kind. I have dealt with quite a bit of clients and they love to use colors as separation for various degree and scaffolds of conversations. For now, if I'm initiating an email and do not really need to be HTML, I try to stay with text. For other, I just follow the format the current email thread is in.

pbreit 13y ago

HTML can be +much+ more effective than text.

alextingle 13y ago
...at distracting and confusing readers. If your goal is to distract and confuse people, by getting them to click on your ads and buy your products, then use HTML e-mail. If you want to communicate clearly, then stop worrying about layout & typography and concentrate on the words you are writing.
- pbreit 13y ago
  > If you want to communicate clearly, then stop worrying about layout & typography That's just wrong. Layout and typography are important elements to clear communication.
  - alextingle 13y ago
    Right, because when people are talking to you, all you hear is an incomprehensible stream of blah, blah, blah.
    - pbreit 13y ago
      So do you think a Steve Jobs presentation would be as effective audio-only?
      - alextingle 13y ago
        It would be preferable. Does that count?
    - joesb 13y ago
      And people use single tone of voice, never emphasize their voice, and never use hand gesture, right?