add'l text to show up if HTML turned off (email)

[Gordo]

I'm sending out an email that uses HTML. I'm NOT going to send it plain text...it must be HTML.

Now, what I'd like is to include a web page link at the top ONLY if the email recipient is reading the message in plain text format and not HTML. The link should ONLY show up if HTML is not allowed. The link would be to a web page that is the same as the email (newsletter). This way, they could go to the web page and see all the content as it's meant to be displayed.

What can I do to have the link show up in plain text emails but not HTML?

Yes, I could just make it show up in both, but I don't want that. Correction, my client doesn't want that.

Any advice!?

[Gordo]

Hmmm, I can't even figure out how to test this...which surprises me. Anyway, would anyone care to help me test something? Anyone have their email client set to "no html" ... only plain text or whatever?

I'm wondering if I can simply put in <!-- message and link here --> in the HTML code and have it show up somehow in a plain text view.

Any testers out there? PM me with your email address.

Any other suggestions?

[brothercake]

Format your HTML so that it makes sense in plain text ... you can test it in Lynx.

[zoobie]

You should be sending 2 messages in 1 actually...One plain text and the other html. The client automatically displays the text only if the html has been shut off...which is unlikely...but some people's businesses require it sometimes. If the html is shut off, they will have to c & p the plain text's link into their browser. I wouldn't worry too much...Over 97% of users have not disabled their html. :D

[brothercake]

Originally posted by zoobie
You should be sending 2 messages in 1 actually...One plain text and the other html. The client automatically displays the text only if the html has been shut off...which is unlikely...
A couple of things:

- what mailreader can do that? I've never seen a dual-version email, and I'd be very surprised if any mail reader does anything other than display both versions

- no-HTML is not at all unlikely; it's very common.



But that aside - you don't have to jump through hoops. If you do this:

<p>-------------------------------------------<br>
I have something to say<br>
It's better to burn out than fade away<br>
-------------------------------------------<br></p>

it will come out in plain-text like this

-------------------------------------------
I have something to say
It's better to burn out than fade away
-------------------------------------------


Either way - I think you should put the link visible for everyone.

[meow]

Most I think. I get those all the time. I use Eudora and it can send "plain AND styled" but when I send one of those to myself I see nothing unusual. The ones other people send to me come with one message in the body and the other as an attachment. I haven't figured the difference out. Not that I've tried very hard. :D

[Roy Sinclair]

I suspect the "dual" style emails are sent out using the multi-part mime declarations, one for the plain/text content and another for the html/text content.

[meow]

Mine are sent as "Content-Type: multipart/alternative;". Guess Dora is smart enough to figure out that I'm just playing when I send to myself. :D

[brothercake]

Originally posted by Roy Sinclair
I suspect the "dual" style emails are sent out using the multi-part mime declarations, one for the plain/text content and another for the html/text content.

Oh yeah, that's familiar ... those plain-text emails with "mime.html" as an attachment ...

[zoobie]

Yep...Most if not all clients these days are MIME compliant. I really don't know of any client that doesn't do this. Dunno about Eudora...but if I switched from OE, I'd probably go with Pegasus which opens in like 2 seconds...even with my slow box.

Originally posted by Roy Sinclair
I suspect the "dual" style emails are sent out using the multi-part mime declarations, one for the plain/text content and another for the html/text content.

Hey..That sounds familiar. :D

[Gordo]

:D Not to get off (or back on) topic, but does anyone know of a way that I can include a bit of text in the plain text version that's received? What about my <!-- --> idea? Anyone care to help me test it...won't take but a minute.

[meow]

But that's what we are doing! Send multipart. Why would anyone that can't receive HTML even want to load the mishmash? :p

An even better option is to let them choose if they want HTML or plain text when they sign up but I guess that's too late.

[Gordo]

The newsletter in question has been sent out two ways -- Outlook Express via the ISP, and through 3rd party bulk email software. Both of these send the message in multipart. That is not my problem.

Why would anyone that can't receive HTML even want to load the mishmash?Some recipients are restricted by their employer and/or don't want HTML in their email. However, they may want to view this particular newsletter in HTML format...the way it's meant to be displayed. Therefore, I am wanting to give the "plain text" folk the option of clicking a web link that would open their Internet browser to the web page version of the newsletter. Follow?

Yes, I could just put the link at the top of the HTML email and let everyone who receives the email (HTML & plain) see it. But that just doesn't jive with the look for which I'm shooting. I only want the link to show up for the plain folks.

I'm still kind of surprised a "plain" CodingForums user isn't willing to test it for me. All I want to do is send one email in HTML format to see what shows up in plain text. Off hand, I don't know of anyone personally that has this capability. And I've been unsuccessful in getting any of my email readers to pull a message in in plain text format.

[meow]

Put the link in the plain text message then. "If you want to see this in HTML blah bhah blah". :confused:

I thought the problem was that you sent only HTML.

[Gordo]

Hmmm...let me clarify...

I'm sending ONE email in HTML format. It's sent such that plain text recipients will get the text.

I want an additional line of text (which will contain a URL) at the top of the email that only the plain text folks receive. I don't want the line to show up in the HTML emails.

[cg9com]

i dont think it can be done.
the only way would be to fully clarify in the email. "if you are a plain text blah blah blah"

and if im not mistaken, html that isnt interpreted with plain text users, they just see the raw code i thought?

[Gordo]

Sooooo, does anyone here receive plain text emails!? If so, I'd like to test out the commented out idea. If you're up to spending one minute receiving the email and replying back in this forum, please PM me.

[meow]

Have you tried:
<p style="display: none">To see this in HTML please visit: http://example.com/styled_mail/</p>

[Gordo]

That just might work meow. But, where (or with whom) can I test it?

[cg9com]

now that ive looked at it, i cant figure out how to turn my HTML off. :D

[zoobie]

Hee hee...You could send me one...but of course then, I'd have to kill ya...:p j/k Hmmm....(goes into deep thinking mode)...aha! How about sending it to yourself? :rolleyes:

Still think you're better off sending a multi-part MIME. :D

[Gordo]

Hate to admit it, but I'm not completely sure WHAT type of email I'm sending. I compose it in HTML with Outlook Express. Those who receive it either get HTML or plain text based on their email client. So, is that multi-part MIME? If you're joking with me, I'm not getting it...because I just don't know all of the differences...haven't had the time to research them all.

I could not figure out how to turn off my HTML reading capabilities in OE either!!! Otherwise, I would have already sent it to myself for testing.

:mad: :D

[Gordo]

stuntboy...via The-Pit was able to help me test out these potential solutions.

Using <!-- some text here --> within the HTML code didn't do anything in the plain text version. So, this was no fix.

But, using <p style="display: none">Web page version: <a href="http://www.hotmail.com">http://www.hotmail.com</a></p> did work! The line of text appeared in the plain text version email received, and nothing appeared in the HTML version! So, that appears to be a fix that would probably work for the vast majority of my "plain text" recipients.

Thanks again for helping me test this. :thumbsup: