gold stars all around

[sarah_ovenall]

Last week at work I had to teach a short training session on HTML. Two sessions actually, because more people signed up than expected so I broke it into 2 classes. I have to admit that I was apprehensive, though I tried not to show it. I've long thought that I'm a bad teacher, that I just don't have the temperament for it. In fact I was told this

Comments

[starcat_jewel]

Why would you want to teach people how to send HTML e-mail? That's one of the biggest security holes (if not THE biggest) for virus-spreading! I'm a little annoyed with Southwest Airlines right now because they don't offer you any option for NOT receiving your itinerary as HTML -- unlike, say, every major hotel site I regularly work with. Not to mention that a lot of people want to read their e-mail on their phone, and a lot of phones don't have HTML-interpretation capability.

E-mail should be TEXT. PERIOD.

[sarah_ovenall]

I agree with you 100% on the principle of it. But the answer to the question "why would I want to teach people how to send HTML email" is "people at a much higher level than I am -- people to whom I can't say no because of principle -- want to know how to do it." (or more to the point, want their assistants to know how.)

We created a template for them to use which degrades well for email clients that don't render HTML. And one of the main points of the class was to teach them how to do it in a way that gives them the "pretty email" they want with as little inconvenience as possible to their email recipients.

[starcat_jewel]

Well, if you have to, then I guess that's the best way to go about it.

I just got an e-mail from Penzey's that I think is supposed to be a coupon for a free something-or-other (probably a 4-oz. jar of poultry seasoning, given that it's billed as a "Thanksgiving gift"). It comes up blank even on my webmail! That's HTML FAIL with a vengeance.

[sarah_ovenall]

yes, that's pretty bad! I tried to hammer home the message to always use alt tags and whatever information is in the graphics, always repeat it in plain text.

We used an email coupon at Penzey's today (new store in Raleigh, woo hoo!) It was a little box with 4 small jars. Garlic powder, cinnamon, a salt free blend called "mural," and I forget what the fourth was. It was a nice freebie!

[raynorgrace]

people here use powerpoint to make flyers for events and then send them as attachments. it makes me cry. high five for throwing it out! also, if you are as clear at explaining things in person as you are on your blog, then i think you are probably a pretty decent teacher.