To new perlmongers: I hope that whoever started this thread isn't the one who is send out the ugliest spam (HTML attached as a txt file) to mine and others accounts. I don't get much spam, but the only reason I do is because people on lists, such as this one, take the e-mails and spam them. I fore warn all spammers that taking e-mails from this and other lists and sending mail to them is unsolicited and *I* will report you to your ISP, as I have already done in the past. I also know that many others also do the same and report their spam.
I know it's not perl related, but it is related to this list and others. Nikola Janceski If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. no use being a damned fool about it. -- W.C. Fields > -----Original Message----- > From: David T-G [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 9:56 AM > To: perl beginners cgi > Cc: John Brooking > Subject: Re: HTML in E-mail > > > John, et al -- > > ...and then John Brooking said... > % > % --- David T-G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > % > > % > ...and then Scot Robnett said... > % > % > % > % I don't personally share the 'HTML e-mail is evil' > ... > % > intimated that he had, which means we're pursuing > % > the ultimate beating of > % > a dead horse here :-) > % > % If I may be allowed to beat the poor dead horse a > > *grin* > > > % little more, and at the risk of reviving this thread, > > Uh oh; that certainly could happen. > > > % but playing devil's advocate because, after all, this > % *is* a beginners' list: > % > % Why is HTML mail evil? (If you believe it is.) > % > % Because it can be so easily hacked? That's a big > % reason, but are there others I don't know about? > > First, I should say that in a different world, it probably > wouldn't be so > bad. If everyone had robust and secure MUAs (gee, mutt comes to mind, > though you can still manage to screw up even with it > sometimes) then we > wouldn't have to worry about embedded javascript or VBS or whatnot > tearing open security holes because, regardless of whether or not such > holes existed, the MUA would keep the garbage in its own > sandbox instead > of letting it run all over the system or send packages back to its > master. > > So then we come to why someone does HTML mail in the first > place... It's > probably for just the font stuff you mention, but then people add > stationery images and buttons and email envelope icons and whatnot and > suddenly you have a very, very, very large message that says > "Come to my > house on Thursday". It's an incredible waste of space and resources. > And before you say "oh, heck, bandwidth is cheap", remember that not > everyone in the US has broadband access and much of the world > outside the > US not only doesn't have fast access but also has to pay by the minute > for even local phone calls. Imagine how happy you'd be to download > someone else's idea of stationery for an extra two and a half minutes > while dialing long distance (and, no, not the cheap LD we have here in > the States, either, but like it was in 1978 at $.25/min). > > Finally, then, we come back around to another security hole: profiling > and tracking. Even if it isn't displayed, an HTML message > can embed an > img tag that goes off to a tracking site and and pips the IP > address, at > the very least, of who just read the message. What a great way to see > how far and wide your spam (or virus) is traveling and fine-tune your > marketing. > > That's by no means an exhaustive overview, but I think it covers the > basics. I would *love* to discuss this more and hear from > others on the > topic, but I fear that we would quickly go far, far, > off-topic and wear > thin the patience of many (most?) on the list. > > > % > % I can imagine average Joe User saying "But of > % *course* I want to be able to format my email with 10 > % different font faces, sizes, and colors. Plain text is > % for geeks." > > Heh. Little does the average Joe know, too :-) Plain text rules! > > Your pseudo-quote reminds me of the Mac Font Wheel spoof of > years back :-) > > > % > % Is maybe Rich Text Format the real answer? > > It's certainly a better answer than HTML with its embedded images and > javascript and the like. > > > % > % - John > > > HTH & HAND > > :-D > -- > David T-G * It's easier to fight for > one's principles > (play) [EMAIL PROTECTED] * than to live up to them. -- > fortune cookie > (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.justpickone.org/davidtg/ Shpx gur > Pbzzhavpngvbaf Qrprapl Npg! > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- The views and opinions expressed in this email message are the sender's own, and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Summit Systems Inc. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
