Panther Mail and HTML

[walkingmac]

In Jaguar I could send html e-mails no problem (atleast on my end). The HTML loaded right in my (and my clients) mail program and in web-based e-mail services. Now with Panther, i put an html file into the message (the same way i did before) and all it does is place it in the attachments and not in the body (like in Jaguar) so it doesn't load right in there.

Any ideas?

 

[rainman::|:|]

are you inserting HTML into the email, or attaching an HTML file created separately? the upgrade may have changed how Mail handles viewable attachments... tho i would think that would be entirely on the other end. but i don't use HTML in messages, so i could be wrong...

pnw

 

[Doctor Q]

I think they purposely changed Mail because of the problem of HTML in incoming spam, where the simple act of displaying the HTML would cause links to be followed that told the spammer your address was valid.

In Mail -> Preferences, in the Viewing section, there is a checkbox named Display images and embedded objects in HTML messages. Perhaps checking the box will restore the old behavior. On the other hand, maybe you want it off for the reason explained above.

I don't see any reason that the display of outgoing HTML would be dangerous, but maybe they used one option to control HTML display in any context.

 

[walkingmac]

ok.... in the past I would simply add the html file directly to the message (body) area and it would display it when it was sent. Now I add the html file and it just attaches it to the e-mail.

I have tried looking for any adjustments in the preferences but am turning up nothing.

Does this make sense?

 

[Doctor Q]

Yes, it makes sense, is Apple changed how Mail displays HTML. Maybe that's how the new version works and there is no option to control it. However, keep in mind that how the message looks to YOU does not necessarily change how the message looks to your recipient. It could very well be that, with either the Jaguar or Panther version of Mail, the HTML was being sent as an attachment, and whether or not it displayed "inline" (within the body) was and is determined by your recipient's e-mail client, not by how it looks on YOUR screen.

Said another way, in case I'm not saying this clearly: When a message includes an e-mail attachment, the e-mail client can display it inline or not. Mail may have changed how it handles outgoing mail with HTML, and we know for sure that it now gives you an option about how to handle incoming mail with HTML. How it looks to people receiving your mail is up to their e-mail client, not yours.

 

[walkingmac]

Originally posted by Doctor Q
... not by how it looks on YOUR screen.

Yes but i can see other html based e-mail from other people and companies just fine.... this is just wierd