M$ Outlook

Guide to using Microsoft Outlook as a mailing-list member!

Essentially M$ Outlook Express is a useful tool and it comes free with Internet Explorer which is why so many people use it and never venture to use a 'proper' email client. However, it has a number of limitations mainly concerned with the default settings which M$ use that make its use in a mailing list totally frustrating for mailing list managers and to the more experienced list recipients.

The main problems are:

	A default setting of use HTML (i.e. stylised text) to send mail
	The placement of the cursor (to start your reply) at the top of the message.

The first can be easily reset by using the 'Tools' menu and selecting 'Options'. Then select the 'Send' tab. Once this is done click on the tick-box which says 'Mail Sending Format' -- 'Plain Text'.

Also deselect the tick-box 'Reply to messages using the format in which they were sent'

Then click on the adjacent button marked 'Plain Text Settings'. Set MIME to 'None'; wrap text at 76 or less characters and select 'Indent ......' to '>'

See the picture below (it varies from version to version slightly but you'll get the idea).

Then when you reply to a message make judicious use of the delete key. Ditch the four lines below ------Original message------------- and delete any bits not relevant. Especially delete all after the signature block separator '-- ' if it exists and definitely delete any mailing list appendages usually marked by ======== as they will get added yet again in your submission.

Then start typing your reply between the lines (so to speak), thus:

> I think that a GPS should be fitted to all STs as standard,

That's a good idea.

> and maybe have a MiniDisc player with a surround sound system?

Oh no! Why don't you just buy yourself a GoldWing instead!

See what I mean - then the sense of the 'thread' is continued and we don't have to wade through about 80 lines of garbage to get to what was originally said.

The addition of a signature separator '-- ' (dash, dash, space) on a line on its own is considered courteous too since many email clients will then automatically strip all below this line when replying.

Better still, use an email client which doesn't have all the disadvantages of M$OE - you might like to try the one I use, which can be found here:-
The email client for the discerning user

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