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  1. #1
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    Default Can I force html with every email?

    I tried searching for the answer but could only find how to change the default which I have already done.

    Is it possible to force Zen Cart to always send emails in html format regardless of setting chosen during registration?

    I've already changed the default during registration to html (setting 1), but I want to force html for those customers that registered a long time ago when I had the default as text.

    If you know how to do this, please let me know.

    I'm looking at includes/functions/function_email.php but I really am not sure what to change there. If this is even the right file.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    I know how to do it, but I'm not talking. If I bought something from you and selected plain text (and I always do) it seems the height of, well, rudeness to later inflict HTML on me. In some countries, it's against the law.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    Is it possible to force Zen Cart to always send emails in html format regardless of setting chosen during registration?
    I'm with Stevesh on this one. Having HTML inflicted upon me when when I choose plain text (as I always do too) would be considered the height of rudeness and it would be highly unlikely that I'd ever return to the store again.

    You should seriously re-consider this proposal.

    Cheers
    Rod

  4. #4
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    The problem I have is that for the first year the default was set to text.

    Many of my customers have complained the emails are being sent in txt format, and they are too lazy to switch it. So I was hoping for a solution where I can switch it for them for certain promotions that go out.

    I've also know from personal experience that ugly text emails get deleted immediately. I am the opposite as you, and so are most of my customers. Emails that get sent in txt are are deleted immediately and are not even read.

    I wonder how many users actually prefer text and not html? Most modern browsers support html, the age of text based email has long gone.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    Many of my customers have complained the emails are being sent in txt format, and they are too lazy to switch it.
    Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense. They're complaining about receiving text email, you're informing them as to how to change their selection, and they just continue to complain ?

    If most of your customers are anything like mine, they look at the From line and Subject line of the message to see who the email is from before deleting it, plain text or not.

    Most people just use whatever the default is set to, and you can do that in admin. My objection was to your retroactive decision to change my selection (and don't just ignore the part about doing so being unlawful in some places).

  6. #6
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by stevesh View Post
    Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense. They're complaining about receiving text email, you're informing them as to how to change their selection, and they just continue to complain ?

    If most of your customers are anything like mine, they look at the From line and Subject line of the message to see who the email is from before deleting it, plain text or not.

    Most people just use whatever the default is set to, and you can do that in admin. My objection was to your retroactive decision to change my selection (and don't just ignore the part about doing so being unlawful in some places).
    Stevesh, I had to chime in here, because you are saying that it doesn't make sense for customers to complain about getting text emails, yet you would complain about receiving HTML emails?

    Furthermore, linnix's customers may not be like yours. For example, certain companies have a client base that are not computer savvy or senior citizens. So in these cases we can choose to send out emails in whatever format we so choose that fits with our client bases, and as you said, its would be your right to unsubscribe or shop there in the future. Receiving an HTML format email seems a silly reason to discontinue shopping with someone though, especially after mentioning that you find it to be silly to complain about text emails.

    As for your contention that it is illegal in some places, I would like to call you out on that. Please site a locale and your source of information that sending an email in a different format than that requested is "illegal". Its one thing to make an unsubstantiated claim that may not even effect linnix unless he does business in that locale, its another to scare people with legal problems.

    What it boils down to is common sense, knowing when to do it and when not to.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by gingabox View Post
    Receiving an HTML format email seems a silly reason to discontinue shopping with someone though,
    .
    It was actually me that stated I'd boycott a store because of this, but NOT so much because I was sent HTML emails, but because MY CHOICE was IGNORED and changed without consent, and probably without warning.

    However, having said that, it assumes that I would have recieved the email in the first place, which is doubtful.

    Quote Originally Posted by gingabox View Post
    What it boils down to is common sense, knowing when to do it and when not to.
    I dissagree. common sense dictates that that only a fool would run the risk of being virus infected via an email when there is a very simple way to avoid such infections. Namly, refuse to accept these risk prone emails.

    As for knowing when to do it and when not to, all I can say is that if a customer elects for text only emails it should be plainly obvious that sending them html emails is something that should NOT be done.

    Your arguments are invalid.

    Cheers
    Rod

    PS. If people wish (or need) me to see something in HTML I request they place the file on a webserver, where HTML *belongs* and have them send me a text link to the page via email. This is the *correct* way do do things.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by gingabox View Post
    Stevesh, I had to chime in here, because you are saying that it doesn't make sense for customers to complain about getting text emails, yet you would complain about receiving HTML emails?
    Um, no. What I said was that it doesn't make sense for a customer to complain about receiving plain-text emails from an ecommerce site, receive instructions on how to change that option from the ecommerce site, then not make that change, continuing to complain instead.. I don't believe that has ever happened.

    I would never complain about a website not honoring my email format choice. I just wouldn't return to that site again.

    The point I was making in my first post is that it really doesn't matter what your 'client base' is, or what you want to send them. If you offer a choice (as the OP did/does) you have an ethical responsibility to honor that choice, now and going forward.

    As for my (and RodG's) replies not being relevant, I'll disagree. This forum isn't a Knowledge Base with bots presenting boilerplate 'answers' to questions. It's a community, and if you ask a question about how to do something we don't think is a good idea, we'll say so. I'm thinking you should appreciate that.

    As an example, I wouldn't tell a Zenner how to find or install a manual credit card processing mod, either.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    The problem I have is that for the first year the default was set to text.
    Irrelevant.

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    Many of my customers have complained the emails are being sent in txt format
    With respect, I find this difficult to believe.
    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    , and they are too lazy to switch it.
    They've told you that have they?
    Again, I find this difficult to believe, but even if it were true it is no reason to inflict HTML on those that had opted for text only.

    Why should I suffer because you have one or two 'lazy' customers?

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    So I was hoping for a solution where I can switch it for them for certain promotions that go out.

    I've also know from personal experience that ugly text emails get deleted immediately.
    And I know from experience that (with few whitelisted exceptions) any HTML emails I recieve get forwarded direclty into my spam folder, never to be seen.

    Is that what you really want.

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    I am the opposite as you,
    Obviously.

    I am one of the 'strange' people that believe Web pages were designed for HTML and Email was designed to be text based.

    Strange thing is, the RFC's (you know about them right?) actually back up my beliefs.

    HTML emails are little more than a 'kludge' that has ended up being responsible for the transmission of 99% of the viruses floating around. Without HTML emails it is impossible for a virus to spread in this manner (which is why I send them straight to the junk folder).

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    and so are most of my customers.
    You said it, so it must be true eh?

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    Emails that get sent in txt are are deleted immediately and are not even read.
    Not in this household, and not with any of my students either.
    I teach the safe networking practices.

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    I wonder how many users actually prefer text and not html?
    All of the smart ones :)

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    Most modern browsers support html
    Errr, I think you'll find that every browser ever written supports HTML, on account of the fact that HTML would be pointless otherwise

    Quote Originally Posted by linnx View Post
    the age of text based email has long gone.
    Yes, and we have flying cars, man has landed on Mars, and Skynet is about to take over the world.

    You won't like this, but please do a little bit of research as to how Email actually works at the network layer. In spite of being over 30 years old, it is still primarily a text based system (and by text based I mean it only uses 7 bit data (127 different characters). I'll leave it up to you to determine how it manages 8bit data and/or HTML.

    Cheers
    Rod

  10. #10
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    Default Re: How to force html with every email

    These comments are irrelevant to the question being asked. I asked how I can change it, not for the reasons why we should not do this.

    Zen Cart is a customizable solution where I can customize it for my needs. And I have a need to send html email.

    I am getting somewhere in case anyone wants to change it.

    Find includes/functions/functions_email.php

    And find

    if ($customers_email_format == '' && ADMIN_EXTRA_EMAIL_FORMAT == 'HTML' && in_array($module, array('newsletters', 'product_notification')) && isset($_SESSION['admin_id'])) {
    $customers_email_format = 'HTML';
    }


    I will modify the above and see how this works. After I test it, I'll post back and let everyone know if it worked or not.
    Last edited by linnx; 16 Feb 2012 at 01:50 PM.

 

 
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