Lillian,
Those newsletters that you have spoken of can quite easily be distributed
in text format with the standard html tags that are used in text based
messages already. Notice my sig has the standard mailto and http tags which
can be recognized by the e-mail browser ("Note this is a text message too"),
that directs the user to the necessary info if they are inclined without
ramming the website down their throat.
You are correct in stating that html e-mail does not necessarily and
ordinarily does not contain the actual graphical content, but it does "call"
the content in question the moment it is opened. This is transmitting an
entire webpage through e-mail because in fact a webpage is just the html
code which "calls" all the hrefs that exist elsewhere, whether on the local
host or not.
I certainly agree that html e-mail is also dangerous due to the ability to
link the content local to the e-mail readers host. It creates the ability
for the sender of an e-mail to gather information that may not be considered
sensitive or otherwise plainly undesirable. It also opens the ability to
introduce agents and other infectious material to a host that would
otherwise require a user's physical acceptance of such material.
The necessity to send e-mail in html is NOT. Regardless of whether a list
or commerce wishes to advertise through e-mail, there are already avenues
for distributing material to demographically selected individuals. Its
called the WWW and creating hypertext links in an e-mail to direct a user to
desired content is certainly MORE than enough, and also solves part of the
congestion problem, because the user must take the time to visit the site in
question as opposed the site making a visit to each and every recipient of
the message, whether they care about this week's issue of the newsletter or
not.
The issue here is not about whether it is technologically sound, but whether
we are able to market the masses with or without their expressed consent. If
a user wishes to visit a commerce's or industry's website they will
certainly follow the link provided in the e-mail. It is a different story to
simply place the web content directly in front of the user, and this begin
to cross the line of harassment and invasion. Its like the difference
between receiving an invitation to an open house, and finding out that the
open house is coming to YOUR house.
Technology doesn't have to contradictory...it is our (ietf) purpose to
ensure the internet is used efficiently and in the mass's best interests.
This doesn't mean regulation, but it does mean providing proper avenues to
get where ever a person wants to go. I will state again, that it isn't our
business to prevent access, but it is our business to make sure that people
can and do access in the appropriate manner in such a way as to ensure each
and every user is satisfied. I mean it would be really silly if you FINGERed
a site and got a webpage to display the information.
Analogously -html e-mail is a lot like the Microsoft windows is it good for
consumers or bad. HTML e-mail like Microsoft windows has made content
browsing easier and closer to ubiquitousness, but at the cost of user
education. If there is no reason for a user to learn how to use the web or
the rest of the net, then why should they???
-Scot Mc Pherson
-RF Engineer
-ClearAccess Communications
-Ph: 941.744.5757 ext. 210
-Fax: 941.744.0629
-mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-http://www.clearaccess.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Lillian Komlossy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 2:29 PM
To: 'Scot Mc Pherson'
Cc: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: VIRUS WARNING
Scot,
ITA we do not need the HTML email for our everyday use.
HTML based email is mainly used by the Email-Newsletter companies, (i.e.
Whitehat,
Exactis, etc...) especially for advertising purposes.
We can argue that we don't need it but in reality, these companies
live off the daily newsletters they send out. I believe all of these
newsletters
are being sent out to people who actually subscribed to receive them.
While the reason is mainly commercial it cannot be ignored. As far as the
bandwidth is concerned - most of those HTML emails don't actually email the
images
but rather display it via a link from their own server. (Which of course
does not help
bandwidth matters especially if first the run it through a logging agent).
I believe the problem starts when somebody writes an HTML email that can
retrieve,
write or execute anything on the receiving client's system.
I agree with you - it is contradictory. So is every new technology, even the
more
tangible ones. I'll bet once everybody agreed that there is no need for the
automobile, horses will do fine - but now we want to take our
tractor-trailer
to work, on an eco-car style gas-burn, and speed as fast as a Ferrari. Go
figure.
Lillian Komlossy
Site Manager
http://www.dmnews.com
http://www.imarketingnews.com
(212) 925-7300 ext. 232
-----Original Message-----
From: Scot Mc Pherson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 1:59 PM
To: 'Lillian Komlossy'
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: VIRUS WARNING
Lillian,
I am not so sure I totally agree. Why exactly do we need HTML based
e-mail...Is it really necessary? E-mail is a service for transmitting a
written message, and written messages certainly don't require background
graphics or a full blown graphically based webpage.
There are a few reasons why I believe this, one of the most
compelling IMHO
is that graphic content in e-mails increases the size of the e-mail
exponentially, thus greatly contributing to the packet congestion already
extremely evident on the Internet today. I realize that we are developing
new technologies all the time that increase bandwidth, but I think its
terribly inefficient, and dangerous.
There is no practical need for html e-mail. It like saying I want to
use a
tractor trailer to commute to work everyday, but it needs to consume only as
much gas as an eco car, and go as fast a Ferrari.
Scot
-----Original Message-----
From: Lillian Komlossy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 11:13 AM
To: 'Scot Mc Pherson'
Cc: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: VIRUS WARNING
Scot,
While what you say is true - meaning an all-text restriction on your email
browser will prevent
"dangerous goods" to be downloaded - it also takes away functionality. We
have to find a way to
be able to use html based email but restrict it from - say running scripts,
executing anything,
writing cookies, issuing queries, etc... Until that happens, you're right -
html based email
is like a runaway train. We have to invent the "brakes" now.
Lillian Komlossy
Site Manager
http://www.dmnews.com
http://www.imarketingnews.com
(212) 925-7300 ext. 232
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Scot Mc Pherson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>>Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 10:07 AM
>>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Castro, Edison M. (PCA)'
>>Cc: 'Steven M. Bellovin'; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 'Brant Knudson'; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>Subject: RE: VIRUS WARNING
>>
>>
>>I believe the one of the most important holes is html based mail, because
>>the e-mail is processed as a webpage which can be used to download
>>undesirable content. If you configure your e-mail browser to display all
>>messages as text you will close this hole...You will notice my e-mails are
>>nearly 100% text
>>
>>Scot
