Text-Only Newsletters
Using the older and native email format, plain-text newsletters look a bit archaic compared to their rich-text, rich-color, rich-media HTML counterparts.
Advantages of Text-Only Newsletters
- Smaller Size. Text-only newsletters are typically smaller than HTML newsletters. They are faster to download and consume less hard disk space if you store them on your computer.
- Better Security. HTML introduces a number of security issues. JavaScript as well as Java or ActiveX objects can all bring malicious code to your system through HTML email. Text-only newsletters do not carry these risks. The most risky part they can contain is attachments.
- Better Privacy. HTML newsletters often include hidden images that tell the newsletter's sender when you have opened the message. These images can even set a cookie and make you identifiable to the newsletter's sender. Text-only newsletters protect your privacy, at least until you follow a link from within the newsletter. These links often include a means for the linked Web site to tell them who clicked.
- Control over Formatting. With text-only newsletters, you can control what font at which size is used to display text.
- Works Anywhere. Because the format is very simple, text-only newsletters require no special capabilities of the email client. They can easily be read even with old software or on portable devices. Text-only newsletters do not require color display either.
Disadvantages of Text-Only Newsletters
- Difficult to Read. Text-only newsletters are often difficult to read. The lack of structure makes it difficult to spot interesting headlines or content. The lack of white space (not only and not always a failure of the format) makes text-only newsletters difficult to read.
- Missing Images, Audio, Video,.... Text-only newsletters cannot include images, videos, or HTML features like forms. All of these, while essential for some kinds of newsletters, can only be reached via links to Web pages.
