On 2024-01-28 17:34, Dave Howorth wrote:

On Sun, 28 Jan 2024 15:44:04 +0100 "Carlos E. R." <...> wrote:

On 2024-01-28 15:38, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

* Carlos E. R. <...> [01-28-24 07:38]:

On 2024-01-28 12:58, Dave Howorth wrote:

On Sun, 28 Jan 2024 12:11:14 +0100 "Carlos E.R." <...> wrote:

I see you are posting with Thunderbird in html. That's Ok with
me, but please, improve it :-)  — the proportional font makes
command output weird.

Until you posted I had not seen any HTML part. My mailer just
shows the rfc822 part by default. So there's no such thing as a
proportional font. The font choice is mine, not his.

So my suggestion is to use a sensible mail reader.

I use what is possibly the most popular mail client in the Linux
world, Thunderbird, same as he does. But any "modern" and powerful
client that renders html properly will show the same effect.

but email is text, html is like running compuserve

Even old farts like us can modernize :-P

Html is no longer blocked on all the mail lists here, you will have
to adapt. You can use a client that doesn't render it and thus hide
it, but it will be there nonetheless, and there will be more.

But there is the possibility of confusion (at its most polite) with
HTML, since it is a separate part. I frequently receive mailshots from
companies where the text and html parts say something completely
different. I do not want to experience some malicious person doing that
on a mailing list! And what does/can HTML bring extra to an email?

This is not a commercial mail list, just normal people. So I don't expect to get mails with totally different parts like you say.

Then, I have never seen a dangerous html email, besides spam in the spam folder where the text says one thing and the link points to something different.

What does it bring to a mail list like this one?

Simple things. I can use a table, and I know that it will keep aligned:

filename	bytes	timestamp
fooo	0	today

I can have easy to do lists of things:

one
two
three

I can put a bunch of command line text where it is easy to see that it is command line text and easy to read, like:

Telcontar:~ # update-alternatives  --config default-displaymanager
There are 5 choices for the alternative default-displaymanager (providing /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/default-displaymana

  Selection    Path                                  Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/sddm      25        auto mode
  1            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/console   5         manual mode
  2            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/gdm       25        manual mode
  3            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/lightdm   15        manual mode
  4            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/sddm      25        manual mode
  5            /usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/xdm       10        manual mode

Press <enter> to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: 
Telcontar:~ # update-alternatives --list default-displaymanager
/usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/console
/usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/gdm
/usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/lightdm
/usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/sddm
/usr/lib/X11/displaymanagers/xdm
Telcontar:~ #

I can use bold, underline, italics if I see fit.

Yes, I can abuse and use glaring colours. Or simply copy paste from the terminals using the same colours as the terminal:

Telcontar:~ # dmesg
[    0.000000] Linux version 5.14.21-150400.24.100-default (geeko@buildhost) (gcc (SUSE Linux) 7.5.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils; SUSE Linux Enterprise 15) 2.41.0.20230908-150100.7.46) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon Dec 4 19:12:13 UTC 2023 (3f5cd84)
[    0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-5.14.21-150400.24.100-default root=UUID=ac173013-18ad-4c4e-921e-fd2ecfb56495 resume=/dev/disk/by-label/nvme-swap splash=verbose verbose

...
[195364.895116] rpfilter_DROP: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=33:33:00:00:00:fb:4c:cc:6a:61:50:a1:86:dd SRC=fc00:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0016 DST=ff02:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:00fb LEN=168 TC=0 HOPLIMIT=255 FLOWLBL=432531 PROTO=UDP SPT=5353 DPT=5353 LEN=128 
[195470.325143] rpfilter_DROP: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=33:33:00:00:00:fb:4c:cc:6a:61:50:a1:86:dd SRC=fc00:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0016 DST=ff02:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:00fb LEN=87 TC=0 HOPLIMIT=255 FLOWLBL=432531 PROTO=UDP SPT=5353 DPT=5353 LEN=47 
[196365.029910] rpfilter_DROP: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=33:33:00:00:00:fb:4c:cc:6a:61:50:a1:86:dd SRC=fc00:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0016 DST=ff02:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:00fb LEN=90 TC=0 HOPLIMIT=255 FLOWLBL=432531 PROTO=UDP SPT=5353 DPT=5353 LEN=50 
Telcontar:~ #

Tell me, when typewriters came, did you refuse to use them and wrote letters with a fountain pen, because that was the tradition and not as dangerous? When typewriters with two inks came, did you replace the red and black ribbon with a black ribbon, to keep safe and traditional? When the word processor came, did you keep typing letters and correcting the errors with white magic ink? When the colour printer came, did you keep printing your letters in a thousand shades of grey?

Even the Linux command line is colourized today.

It's time we move on on email, too :-)

The fact is, if html is no longer forbidden in the mail list, I'm gonna use it when I see the advantage. Without abusing it. And you are free to keep using clients that don't display it. I will not tell you to use html, either. The only thing I said, when I noticed mails coming html from other people, use it better.

-- 
Cheers / Saludos,

		Carlos E. R.
		(from 15.4 x86_64 at Telcontar)