Re: SERVER UPDATE

[lbm@ici.net]

Duncan Fletcher wrote:
> 
> New server software is just the beginning. HTML code requires perhaps 3
> times as much bandwidth to store and transmit. I.e., encourage html code
> (which some computers cannot handle) and the costs for server time and disk
> space also go up - this is an ongoing cost unlike the software upgrade. And
> it is far worse if that starts to encourage use of photos, etc.
> 
> In any case, courtesy to those that have to pay by the minute and/or have
> older software systems would indicate plain text should be used for list
> servers and newsgroups regardless of listserve capability.

Oh, I agree.  But as somebody who ran a 1000+ subscriber listserve for
18 months, I have to tell you that there are simply too many computer
neophytes joining the Internet and Internet discussion groups
for the theory of "to make things run smoothly, everybody must
behave properly" to work.

Computer neophytes aren't even quite sure what HTML is,
never mind what an "attachment" is.  On my list, it got to where
I could tell, to the *day*, when an individual subscriber upgraded to
Internet Explorer 3.0--suddenly their posts started showing
up as a header with two attachments:  plain text plus HTML.

Sure, people should be aware, but for every one you educate (and that
takes *considerable* effort on the part of the list admin), there are
three more waiting in the wings who will make the same mistakes. 
Designing a system that relies upon everyone being educated, configuring
their systems properly, and doing the right thing is simply
flying in the face or reality.

Microsoft and Netscape are in the driver's seat here.  If they
put out a release of Explorer or Netscape where the default
format of mail is HTML, then that's what we're going to get.

Solve it in software or live with it.

Linda B. Merims
lbm@ici.net
Massachusetts, USA