RE: [epub] HTML ezines

["Dr.MANI Sivasubramanian, M.D." <sivaraj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Dr.MANI Sivasubramanian, M.D." <sivaraj@giasmd01.vsnl.net.in>

Dear Denise

Hi, thanks for your response to my query about HTML formatted
ezines.

> I'm not aware of any statistics, but before you do a lot of
> leg work, why not ask your readers?  They may not know
> the difference, so you might have to give them short samples.

Thanks, nice suggestion.  I'll do that soon.

However, irrespective of whether or not my readers prefer HTML
ezines today, evidence indicates that the present trend is towards
richer, more interactive and graphically attractive content -
both on the web and on email.  Whether we, or some of our 
subscribers, like it or not, a time may soon arrive when we
are forced to tow the popular line and publish in rich text or
HTML.

I intend to get in some practice before this stage is reached, but
wonder really in which areas my ezine can add value if published
in HTML instead of plain text.

Attractive layout ?  It looks pretty and uncluttered in ASCII now.

Flashy content ?  It isn't right for the subject of my ezine, heart disease.

Interactivity ?  I can't see it being better than an email survey or poll
right on the text ezine.

Tracking ?  I use coded URLs to track response rates to ad runs, but
don't see any particular added benefit in knowing how many subscribers
*opened* my ezine.  If there is a way to say how many actually *read*
it, I may be more interested :-)

And on the downside, there are the issues of incompatibility across
many different email clients, the bloated size esp. if graphics are
included, the dial-up settings of offline readers causing annoying
connect efforts when HTML ezines are opened, and worst of all
the temptation to clutter up a content-focussed ezine with
unnecessary bells-and-whistles.

Would anyone with positive HTML ezine stories care to
share them with the list ?  I understand this is the way
we're likely to go, but would like to be convinced it is
the right way too :-)

Thanks
Sincerely

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon

******************************

Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian, MD
Editor, THE HEART BEAT
http://www.drmani.com/ezine.shtml
mailto:editor@drmani.com

******************************

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