HTML Emails. Any tips?

[alfa daley]

Hi Phers of a technical disposition, I have a little web problem I am hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction with.

I am trying to create an HTML email at work in dreamweaver to send out to 50 or so people. Once I have created my web page how do I then send it as an email??

Outlook in Windows XP is my mail client but can't see any way of inserting the code? I am sure web purists will scoof at the use of Outlook but its not exactly a bulk mailing so it's what I'm stuck with (says the boss )

Thanks


Simon

[toni896]

not sure if it's what you want but couldn't you just send to a distribution list at an SMTP server ? using ASP to create the eMail ?


<%
Set objSendMail=Server.CreateObject("CDO.NewMail"
objSendMail.From = Request.Form("email"
objSendMail.To = "distlist@smtp"
objSendMail.Subject = "Website Visitor Comments / Inquiry"
msgString = Request.Form("fname" & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & Request.Form("lname" & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & Request.Form("address" & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & Request.Form("city" & "," & Request.Form("state" & " " & Request.Form("zip" & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & "Phone: " & Request.Form("phone" & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & "Fax: " & Request.Form("fax" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf
msgString = msgString & Request.Form("rep" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Comments" & vbCrLf & Request.Form("comm" & vbCrLf
objSendMail.Body = msgString
objSendMail.Send
Set objSendMail = Nothing
%>

[alfa daley]

Toni, thanks for the reply. Unfortunately its a bit technical for a simpleton like me. Is there a tab or something to click in outlook to insert my HTML?

[J_S_G]

alfa daley said:

Toni, thanks for the reply. Unfortunately its a bit technical for a simpleton like me. Is there a tab or something to click in outlook to insert my HTML?

Starter for 10 here: www.addme.com/issue293.htm

[zumbruk]

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

[agent006]

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

Why?

[zumbruk]

agent006 said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

Why?

Because email was and is a plain text medium. Not everyone reads their email in an HTML capable mail program, and even if they do, if they've any sense they switch the HTML rendering off. I've never, ever, seen an HTML email that was worth the security & privacy loopholes you have to open in order to have it work "properly".

[spokey]

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

x2

[J_S_G]

zumbruk said:

agent006 said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

Why?

Because email was and is a plain text medium. Not everyone reads their email in an HTML capable mail program, and even if they do, if they've any sense they switch the HTML rendering off. I've never, ever, seen an HTML email that was worth the security & privacy loopholes you have to open in order to have it work "properly".

From a technical level, I agree. Personally, as someone with a technical background, I agree.

And with my business hat on... they generate more income if leveraged proeprly and are therefore a valuable business tool. Even when offset against the downsides, in the general case. Shame, but true.

[zumbruk]

J_S_G said:

zumbruk said:

agent006 said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

Why?

Because email was and is a plain text medium. Not everyone reads their email in an HTML capable mail program, and even if they do, if they've any sense they switch the HTML rendering off. I've never, ever, seen an HTML email that was worth the security & privacy loopholes you have to open in order to have it work "properly".

From a technical level, I agree. Personally, as someone with a technical background, I agree.

And with my business hat on... they generate more income if leveraged proeprly and are therefore a valuable business tool. Even when offset against the downsides, in the general case. Shame, but true.

Don't ask what I think about spammers. It makes my opinion about those who originate HTML emails look quite mild.

[J_S_G]

zumbruk said:

J_S_G said:

From a technical level, I agree. Personally, as someone with a technical background, I agree.

And with my business hat on... they generate more income if leveraged proeprly and are therefore a valuable business tool. Even when offset against the downsides, in the general case. Shame, but true.

Don't ask what I think about spammers. It makes my opinion about those who originate HTML emails look quite mild.

Never said anything about spamming. Run some household name e-commerce sites with solely opt-in mailing lists - and often even more user-focussed than that (i.e. they have to specifically request information EACH time in some cases). HTML emails achieve over 5x better sales for them by presenting the products being pitched visually in the e-mail. Not appropriate in every circumstance but, if you're running something as a business rather than a hobby, then these things matter...

[V8 EOL]

spokey said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

x2

x3

[TheExcession]

V8 EOL said:

spokey said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

x2

x3

x4

[GreenV8S]

alfa daley said:

I am trying to create an HTML email at work in dreamweaver to send out to 50 or so people. Once I have created my web page how do I then send it as an email??

In Outlook, select Tools->Options->Mail Format, and choose HTML where it says 'compose in this format'. Then just copy/paste from your WYSIWYG editor.

[J_S_G]

GreenV8S said:

alfa daley said:

I am trying to create an HTML email at work in dreamweaver to send out to 50 or so people. Once I have created my web page how do I then send it as an email??

In Outlook, select Tools->Options->Mail Format, and choose HTML where it says 'compose in this format'. Then just copy/paste from your WYSIWYG editor.

Problem then'll be any stylesheets, any "tricks" (JavaScript, etc) done in DreamWeaver, and linking to any images.

[Don]

J_S_G said:

GreenV8S said:

alfa daley said:

I am trying to create an HTML email at work in dreamweaver to send out to 50 or so people. Once I have created my web page how do I then send it as an email??

In Outlook, select Tools->Options->Mail Format, and choose HTML where it says 'compose in this format'. Then just copy/paste from your WYSIWYG editor.

Problem then'll be any stylesheets, any "tricks" (JavaScript, etc) done in DreamWeaver, and linking to any images.

True. Style sheets are out for an HTML Email. Anyone with any sense will block JavaScript in an email (I do). Images shouldn't be a problem in Outlook, though. I block remote images anyway...

I don't see what the problem is with HTML emails. A few simple check boxes in your e-mail security and they're safe enough. If you're running anti-spam and anti-virus not much comes through - and usually the malware payload is an exe you have to click on! How clunky is that - and not likely to fool many people.

Web-based business applications (like ours) often send weekly reports and so on to end-users that request them by e-mail. We always use HTML (specially formatted I admit) as we need to create a professional look. Obviously we don't send 'em out as spam! (Die - evil spammers, etc etc)

[GreenV8S]

Make sure you test it before it goes out. One of our less technical managers decided we needed a slick corporate image so he made up a standard footer with some HTML graphics in it. The problem was that he didn't quite understand the implications of linking to an image on his local c: drive. Every message he sent and received looked fine ... to him.

[TangoAlpha]

TheExcession said:

V8 EOL said:

spokey said:

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

x2

x3

x4

x infinity

[Don]

GreenV8S said:

Make sure you test it before it goes out. One of our less technical managers decided we needed a slick corporate image so he made up a standard footer with some HTML graphics in it. The problem was that he didn't quite understand the implications of linking to an image on his local c: drive. Every message he sent and received looked fine ... to him.

[onomatopoeia]

zumbruk said:

People who send HTML emails should be flayed alive and boiled to death in brine made from their own urine.

HTML is for web pages, not for emails.