Comments on: Microsoft drop the ball with Outlook 2007 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/ Adventures in web and graphic design Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:40:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jackal http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-69358 Jackal Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:12:59 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-69358 Are there seriously people DEFENDING this? SERIOUSLY? Are there seriously people DEFENDING this? SERIOUSLY?

]]> By: david http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-52806 david Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:43:24 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-52806 @Mike: Javascript is a different problem altogether. Most people would be better off with Javascript disabled in email. CSS and other rendering back peddling that Microsoft did in Outlook 2007 is another matter. I don't see any value in sticking with an inferior rendering engine. Having said that, as both a "designer" and "user", I personally prefer more simple formatted emails. :) @Mike:

Javascript is a different problem altogether. Most people would be better off with Javascript disabled in email.

CSS and other rendering back peddling that Microsoft did in Outlook 2007 is another matter. I don’t see any value in sticking with an inferior rendering engine.

Having said that, as both a “designer” and “user”, I personally prefer more simple formatted emails. :)

]]> By: Ty http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-5263 Ty Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:05:01 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-5263 "The only people who care about Outlook 2007 using Word to render its emails, and the loss of the aforementioned features are designers and developer. Not USERS!" - Martin Hinshelwood Not true. I care and I'm not a "designer" or "developer". I'm a "user". “The only people who care about Outlook 2007 using Word to render its emails, and the loss of the aforementioned features are designers and developer. Not USERS!” – Martin Hinshelwood

Not true. I care and I’m not a “designer” or “developer”. I’m a “user”.

]]> By: Zach Katkin http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-1126 Zach Katkin Tue, 13 Mar 2007 03:15:22 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-1126 I couldn't agree more... this is total BS. I can't believe that made a large (but still not complete) standards push for IE7 and yet completely omitted it from Outlook. I couldn’t agree more… this is total BS. I can’t believe that made a large (but still not complete) standards push for IE7 and yet completely omitted it from Outlook.

]]> By: RH http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-1116 RH Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:14:07 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-1116 Martin Hinshelwood, Not true. Customers who sign up for useful email newsletters, order confirmations, etc. want those emails to be nicely formated and easily readable. One of the ways that is done is through the use of html formating. When I explicity sign up for the latest news on something I want a nice looking email. I enjoy well placed images etc. For legitimate opt in and double opt in consumers this could lower the quality of their experience. they might not actualy go gee I wish outlook supported better rendering. But they will notice when things look crudy. Martin Hinshelwood,
Not true. Customers who sign up for useful email newsletters, order confirmations, etc. want those emails to be nicely formated and easily readable. One of the ways that is done is through the use of html formating.

When I explicity sign up for the latest news on something I want a nice looking email. I enjoy well placed images etc. For legitimate opt in and double opt in consumers this could lower the quality of their experience. they might not actualy go gee I wish outlook supported better rendering. But they will notice when things look crudy.

]]> By: Jonathan http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-695 Jonathan Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:32:18 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-695 @Mike: Interesting point, but I feel that the HTML vs plaintext debate is somewhat irrelevant where phishing and spam is concerned. If companies such as ebay sent out plaintext emails to their customers, then phishers would too. The average user would still find it equally difficult to differentiate between a legitimate and nefarious email. @Mike: Interesting point, but I feel that the HTML vs plaintext debate is somewhat irrelevant where phishing and spam is concerned. If companies such as ebay sent out plaintext emails to their customers, then phishers would too. The average user would still find it equally difficult to differentiate between a legitimate and nefarious email.

]]> By: Mike http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-684 Mike Sat, 03 Feb 2007 08:58:36 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-684 I do a tech talk show on a pretty big radio station. For the last six years I have tried to teach people to turn off HTML email in their email client, i.e. Outlook. There are two reasons. One is personal. The other has everything to do with security. As an example, today there was an on going story of a hacker that hacked the Miami Dolphins Stadium web site. The reason is because it is getting so much traffic this second day before the Super Bowl. The hack was a javascript link the downloaded a trojan from a server in China. All this happened to the user without their knowledge. That said, the average user still cannot tell which emails to delete and what not to click on, therefore, many times infecting themselves. Or, how about those eBay phishing emails that look exactly like an official eBay web page. The common user cannot tell the difference. HTML email may look nice, but it is a hazard to the user that can't tell the good from the bad. And there are more of those users then there are of us geeks. Companies that send HTML email are more interested in sending magazine covers via email. That is what their web site is for. All that is needed is a link in a well formatted text email. I do a tech talk show on a pretty big radio station. For the last six years I have tried to teach people to turn off HTML email in their email client, i.e. Outlook.

There are two reasons. One is personal. The other has everything to do with security.

As an example, today there was an on going story of a hacker that hacked the Miami Dolphins Stadium web site. The reason is because it is getting so much traffic this second day before the Super Bowl.

The hack was a javascript link the downloaded a trojan from a server in China. All this happened to the user without their knowledge.

That said, the average user still cannot tell which emails to delete and what not to click on, therefore, many times infecting themselves.

Or, how about those eBay phishing emails that look exactly like an official eBay web page. The common user cannot tell the difference.

HTML email may look nice, but it is a hazard to the user that can’t tell the good from the bad. And there are more of those users then there are of us geeks.

Companies that send HTML email are more interested in sending magazine covers via email. That is what their web site is for. All that is needed is a link in a well formatted text email.

]]> By: Ephram Zerb http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-683 Ephram Zerb Sat, 03 Feb 2007 07:19:44 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-683 This is a serious blow to email. Yes, users may not care about the HTML / CSS compatibility of their email client; but in the end, they are the ones that suffer. Imagine the internet condemned to one column layouts. Emal is almost ubiquitous in its adoption and is the most viable way for individuals to access on-demand information. Compatibility with all clients is an omnipresent constraint in web design, by crippling an important email client, you are consigning the entire medium to mediocrity. This is a serious blow to email. Yes, users may not care about the HTML / CSS compatibility of their email client; but in the end, they are the ones that suffer. Imagine the internet condemned to one column layouts. Emal is almost ubiquitous in its adoption and is the most viable way for individuals to access on-demand information. Compatibility with all clients is an omnipresent constraint in web design, by crippling an important email client, you are consigning the entire medium to mediocrity.

]]> By: Tinus http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-656 Tinus Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:36:15 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-656 Apple is embracing HTML e-mails with Leopard's Mail. See the Leopard preview at apple.com. Apple wanted to make HTML really usefull, and Microsoft tries to break this with the new Outlook. Apple is embracing HTML e-mails with Leopard’s Mail. See the Leopard preview at apple.com. Apple wanted to make HTML really usefull, and Microsoft tries to break this with the new Outlook.

]]> By: Martin Hinshelwood http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-612 Martin Hinshelwood Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:12:01 +0000 http://f6design.com/journal/2007/01/10/microsoft-drops-the-ball-with-outlook-2007/#comment-612 The only people who care about Outlook 2007 using Word to render its emails, and the loss of the aforementioned features are designers and developer. Not USERS! What user said “I wish I got more of those pointless marketing emails!”. What user said “I could just go a big background picture for my emails!” What user said “I wish I could trach the open count of my emails!” Not I… The only people who care about Outlook 2007 using Word to render its emails, and the loss of the aforementioned features are designers and developer. Not USERS!

What user said “I wish I got more of those pointless marketing emails!”.
What user said “I could just go a big background picture for my emails!”
What user said “I wish I could trach the open count of my emails!”

Not I…

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