Pat's response to Bill East's query slightly misses the point. Some
people still use e-mail applications that only read ascii text and not
RTF or HTML text. Pine is an example of an e-mail application that
displays ascii text only and everything else as code. Reading an
HTML mail in Pine is not pretty. Outlook, Netscape, Pegasus, et
al., can send either format, but you have to set that option. I
personally prefer to receive text (ascii) e-mails even though my
program (the free Pegasus) can read all these other forms.
So...it isn't that Bill ought to get a new WP program or even a new e-
mail application, rather, people should be aware if they are sending
out messages in RTF, HTML, or ascii. And then they should
decide if they'd like those of us who use older ascii-based e-mail
programs to read their mail. I think many people who bought new
computers and began using the pre-installed MS program Outlook
do not realize they are sending out RTF or HTML-coded mail. This
can be changed (in Preferences or Options, don't remember which
since I uninstalled that program!).
This is a case of new technology pretending that older technology
no longer works! It is also interesting to note that the Melissa and
various other macro viruses of late were all designed to work
through MS' Outlook. Something to keep in mind when deciding
on an e-mail application.
Sorry if I'm being too pedantic! Ciao, cg.
> In a message dated 11-2-1999 5:30:26 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > Several of you have sent messages (no doubt, very interesting,
> > stimulating and scholarly ones) to the list in Rich Text Format (RTF)
> > lately.
> >
> > As I for one do not seem to be able to receive such messages, your
> > labour has been in vain, at least as far as I am concerned.
> >
> > Is my appliance out of date?
> >
> > The Supple Doctor.
>
> It should load into your word processor, at least if you're using word or
> word perfect. The part that looks like gibberish at the beginning is
> formatting codes, and if you skip past that , it's often possible to read the
> text below it, even with a text-based word processor.
>
> But what word processor are you using? Even if text based, it shouldn't be
> difficult for the sender to also send a txt copy.
>
> Don't throw the applicance away. Everyone's computer is hopelessly out of
> date within 24 hours of our buying it.
>
> pat
>
> pat
>
Christine Gilmore, MFA, PhD
Assistant Professor
Renaissance Literature
Department of English
University of Toledo
W 2801 Bancroft Avenue
Toledo OH 43606
[log in to unmask]
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