Following is an explanation of the differences between plain and MIME
formats for digest subscribers. All digest subscribers are presently
subscribed in plain format by default. Note that AOL users will find MIME
format unreadable. Please let me know if you would prefer for me to change
your individual subscription to MIME format. You can also later request to
have it changed back to plain format if you decide to do so.
Please send requests to me at the following address:
STilleman(a)satx.rr.com
Susan Cearlock Tilleman
List Administrator
----- Original Message -----
...
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2006 4:23 AM
Subject: Re: [LO] Plain vs. MIME
On Friday 22 September 2006 6:38 am, mbox/tstowell wrote:
> I asked another list admin for an understandable explanation of plain
vs.
> MIME, since I've not seen an example of what those look like
compared to
> what previous Digest had looked like.
>
> Her explanation:
>
> "Basically, plain text gives you one long message with all of the
> individual messages one after the other. When you uncheck the plain text
> box, you get MIME format which is more like the old way that digests
came
> in. This means that each message is an attachment to the main
e-mail. I
> like this way better because if I need to save something for later I
don't
> have to keep the whole digest (or forward it to myself with just
the
part
> that I need). I just open the attachment and copy to a folder in
MS
Outlook
> where I want it to go."
>
> So to make sure I have this right one more time =
>
> Plain - is like Digest messages used to be - a listing of the messages
in
> the digest followed by msg 1, msg 2, etc.
>
> MIME - a listing of the messages (like a table of contents) but with
each
> message sent as an attachment?
Outlook and OE users will get MIME digests that way, yes. With other
mailers,
probably not. For AOL users, MIME is unreadable, which is why we all
have
our
lists set to Plain by default, and only change users to MIME if they
request
it.
In Gmail, I see very little difference between plain and MIME. In Kmail,
MIME
gives me nice boxes around each post, but no attachments. In the text
that
we
can add to each of our digests, I have added:
<< Plain digests are sent to users with all posts listed in one long
email.
For most subscribers, MIME digests will appear with all posts as
individual
attachments. The default digest delivery is Plain. If you want your
digest
in
MIME, please write me directly: ...
When replying to a digest post, quote only the specific text to which you
are
replying, removing the rest of the digest from your reply. Also,
remember
to
change the subject of your reply so that it coincides with the
message
subject to which you are replying. >>
I have also written a post to each list after migration, calling attention
to
the new Digest format, and asking each Digest subscriber to write if
they
want the format changed. So far, out of around 4000 subscribers, I've
gotten
possibly 20 requests for MIME digests. Plain seems to be suiting most
Digest
subscribers just fine.
Valorie