Here's why - Partly based on the tree huggers here in Oregon, and partly based on worries about a world gone nuts in the business of heavier and heavier consumption, and partly based on the logic behind Stuart Brand's The Clock of the Long Now {http://www.longnow.org}, I'd like to promote - everywhere - the idea that, many times, less is more.
My argument is not so much about bandwidth saving as it is about developing a cultural philosophy with and through people - such as are found on this list - who share my over-consumption worries.
There may well be rich textual gains from HTML, and less work for Andy - but at what cost to a culture many of us on this list would like to nurture?
That's why I push back. :)
At 12:19 PM -0500 1/7/05, Andy Carvin wrote:
Hi John,
That was my feeling as well for many years, but I'm beginning to change my mind for several reasons:
1. The majority of people who try to post in HTML on DDN are not in the US or Europe, but in the South, so apparently there has been significant growth of html-friendly email browsers there.
2. Many people who post in HTML but then are asked by me to post in text do not -- or cannot -- switch to HTML, so their message never gets posted. This may represent as many as one in five messages posted to the list. And the majority of those who have a hard time changing their settings to plain text are in developing countries, so their messages aren't receiving fair representation on the list.
3. An early reason for this policy was also to help people who used screen-reading software, but now this software is generally better than it used to be and can usually read HTML. (If this isn't the case for any list members, please speak up now.)
4. The amount of time I spend moderating list messages has doubled, if not tripled, solely due to dealing with this problem, and it is hampering my ability to provide other more important types of assistance to list members.
Personally, I plan to base my final decision on input from two key groups: DDN members in developing nations and members who are visually impaired, since they are the groups that would be affected by the change. If people from either of these constituencies respond by saying that their participation in the list will indeed be hampered by HTML messages, then I won't change the policy. But if it's not longer an issue for them, I'm going to have to change the policy just to make the list fully functional again....
ac
John Hibbs wrote:I for one hope the present (HTML) policy continues.
It seems this is especially important for a group devoted to narrowing the digital divide. Yes, it may well be that most of us on this list have broadband, super fast computers and live in countries where electronic mail zips easily and instantly...but the great, great, great balance of the world doesn't have these advantages....and won't for a good long time.
Let the spammers choke on their own HTML. Let's keep the policy - and in fact encourage our members to send *all* mail in plain text.
My two cents. John Hibbs http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs
At 11:07 AM -0500 1/7/05, Andy Carvin wrote:
Hi everyone,
In recent months we've had some problems with getting list members' messages to the list because of the increasing number of messages in HTML. Historically, we haven't allowed HTML messages on the list because of bandwidth limits of some users (an html message contains more than twice the amount of data of a plain text message). Now, though, more than half of the messages that people try to post to the list come in HTML, including from developing countries. Because our list software, Mailman, cannot automatically strip out HTML, it rejects these messages if I try to post them. This means that I have to email the author and ask them to repost in plain text, which they don't always do. So many messages are not getting posted simply because they're submitted in HTML.
So I'd like to ask for comments from list members about a proposed rule change regarding HTML messages. The rule change would allow people to post in HTML, but still not allow attachments, which we block for virus and bandwidth concerns. Plain text, of course, will still be encouraged, but members wouldn't be penalized if they didn't comply.
Please let me know what you think. If there's general consensus that posting in HTML is acceptable to the group, I'll make the rule change in the FAQ.
thanks, ac
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Andy Carvin
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EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.tsunami-info.org
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com
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