RE: [epub] an exit poll on html

["Tonyia Young" <charmwrite@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

I agree that the content is the main thing to be concerned with, although I
do believe we have to be careful with html not to let the design overtake
the purpose of our content. Both should compliment the other. I have
recieved some ezine publications that seemed to do the opposite (not that
that's the norm). And a lot of html messages I recieve seem rather obnoxious
with large and even huge text, and a background that flies off the screen at
you, capable of causing brain damage. I don't think that's pleasing at all,
nor are these messages and newsletters obtaining their purpose. If readers
are instantly hit with a design that is overwhelming the newsletter isn't
going to be read, which is rather defeating to the purpose of sending out a
newsletter or ezine at all.

After all the discussion about html in this group I still feel the best way
to handle html in publications is to give the reader a choice. Even if they
aren't unsubscribing because of html, we can't be certain of whether they
prefer html or text until we do a survey or something. And even then, not
everyone answers. The few that have unsubscribed to my text newsletter are
asked to give us feedback also. They say they are unsubscribing because
they've decided against e publishing for now, because they've got a 60 hour
a week a job or the like. I think unsubscribers may be the wrong people to
ask about html. Probably the ones recieving it and continuing to recieve it
would be our best indicators of reader preference.

Tonyia Young
Charm Write Publishing
http://www.charmwrite.com
Electronic MarketPlace
emarketplace-subscribe@topica.com

-----Original Message-----
From: drmani@vsnl.com [mailto:drmani@vsnl.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 12:13 PM
To: epub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [epub] an exit poll on html


Hi.

V.J.Billings wrote:
> Are you leaving because the newsletter was received with coding or was
> gobbledygook?

> All six said NO!

This only reinforces the point that content, rather than format, is
more important for *most* ezine subscribers.  Of course, an
attractive format makes good content even more attractive.
But if your content doesn't appeal to your audience, it won't
matter at all how attractively it is packaged - you'll still lose
readers.

> It made me feel more confident in our html endeavor.

My friend, who is editor of a respected medical journal, writes
about some submissions:  "The author's conclusions are not borne out
by the data presented" !  <g>

What such a finding should make you feel confident about is that your
 *content* is good, and that it wouldn't matter if you sent it out in
unformatted boring plain text, people would *still* read your zine - very
good news for any ezine publisher.

Comments?



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