The Importance of Text Formatting in Emails

The Pitfalls of Fancy Formatting

AOL provides a variety of tools that allow users to add color, italicize, or bold parts of their emails. However, these features may not be compatible with the email client software used by many people. In fact, they may even prevent the message from being read. It is not uncommon to receive emails with an empty body due to incompatible formatting. Sending such emails can lead to recipients blocking all future emails from your address.

The Issue with Spam and Filters

Many email clients have filters that can automatically discard unwanted emails. If you receive multiple spam emails, examining the return address can be revealing. Often, these addresses are forged and vary with each email, making blocking them ineffective. A more effective strategy is to identify a common sentence in these spam emails and block any message containing that sentence.

The Problem with Attachments

Another common mistake is sending emails with no text, where the intended message is an attachment. Unless the email is from a known contact, it is likely to be deleted immediately. Opening an attachment from an unsolicited email is a waste of time and potentially risky. If the attachment is in "Doc" format, it is even more likely to be left unopened due to the risk of viruses.

A Practical Solution

A more effective approach is to include the message in the body of the email and attach the HTML version. This gives the recipient a choice and ensures that the message can be read by all email clients. Remember, text can be read by all email clients, making it the safest bet. Otherwise, you might simply be wasting your time.

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