[ilds] "scrubbed" messages

[James Gifford]

Hi Brewster (and everyone else),

There's actually a very simple answer, but it has a long story...  When 
someone send a message in HTML format (fancy fonts & colours rather than 
just that typewriter font that some email programs default to), it is 
actually sent as an attachment to the email.  Since HTML is easy to 
read, it generally causes no problems and can be sent around easily (web 
pages are constructed in HTML as well, etc...).

However, if you're on the digest option for the listserv or if you're 
going through the online archives, those HTML messages are still 
attachments rather than plain text emails.  In order to show them, 
you'll have to follow a link to the attachment.  It would be difficult 
to set up a system of reliably converting those attachments into plain 
text.  Don't worry about viruses on these, since they're already scanned 
at the university -- it's just a mark-up language that gives more 
control over fonts, spacing, and so forth.

If you know how, please convert your messages to plain text when you 
send to the list, or else be aware that those on the daily digest or 
sorting through the archives will be disinclined to read that message. 
I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it though.

Best,
Jamie

Smithchamberlin at aol.com wrote:
> Why are the contents of the postings "scrubbed"?
>         Brewster
>