Can we get a better newsletter?
Thursday, December 11, 2003 by dodgerWA | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
Is anybody else tired of the mess that is the Wincustomize e-mail Magazine? I want this information (thus I am subscribed to the mailing), but there is so much HTML and CSS crap that is is becoming impossible to read.
Whatever is being used to generate the newsletter doesn't form compatible HTML/CSS so I'm left to hunt through the junk to find the actual content. Not to mention, most of the links just plain don't work. (They either don't show up as links or are not recognized as a clickable link.)
Could this please be cleaned up? Or, at the very least, provide us with an option to receive a text-only mailing?
Thank you.
Whatever is being used to generate the newsletter doesn't form compatible HTML/CSS so I'm left to hunt through the junk to find the actual content. Not to mention, most of the links just plain don't work. (They either don't show up as links or are not recognized as a clickable link.)
Could this please be cleaned up? Or, at the very least, provide us with an option to receive a text-only mailing?
Thank you.
 |
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
GhoS
Reply #4 Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:15 PM
Reply #4 Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:15 PM
I personally haven't noticed any issues with it. The links work. However for me since I visit the site on a regular basis, the "news" in it is old for me lol. Still at least once an issue there is something new for me to check out.
CerebroJD
Reply #5 Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:21 PM
Reply #5 Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:21 PM
What do you use for accessing your email? I use hotmail and it works fine. It works fine for me with Outlook too. Some more detail would be great. 
dodgerWA
Reply #6 Monday, December 15, 2003 10:34 PM
Reply #6 Monday, December 15, 2003 10:34 PM
I use PMMail2000. I have similar problems (although slightly different gibberish and formatting) with SquirrelMail, which is a pretty standard webmail interface provided by a lot of ISPs.
No, I don't want the London Times, I just want something usable.
"Boggling"? No wonder the economy's in the crapper - if people find customer feedback "boggling".
No, I don't want the London Times, I just want something usable.
"Boggling"? No wonder the economy's in the crapper - if people find customer feedback "boggling".
Jafo
Reply #7 Monday, December 15, 2003 10:49 PM
Reply #7 Monday, December 15, 2003 10:49 PM
Just a hunch, but there might not be any issues with the quality of mail proggy being used?
I'm sure that were I to read a paper under water the pages would get all soggy, too...
hachoo_wilzer
Reply #8 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 7:24 AM
Reply #8 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 7:24 AM
I'd be elated to receive the newsletter, haven't received one since Sept. In fairness, I did change email addresses, but I did notify TPTB. Meanwhile I'm SHSMA.
IPlural
Reply #9 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:32 AM
Reply #9 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:32 AM
Frankly visiting the site does not equate to you or anyone else being a WinCustomize "customer"...
You posted a response in the thread started by Brad about how you do not use the site enough or download enough to personally justify Subscribing to the site. Which is fine with me and I see nothing wrong with that position in the least.
Then followed it up with this thread and rant about the News Letter within in a matter of minutes. Which I find mind boggling because in one thread you openly state you make the choice to not support the site.
Then in this one you start a rant about the news letter and attempt to enlist others to your cause only to finish it out with a curt "please". (or so it reads)
And far as the economy goes, you can look to DC for that and as far as the Customer and Support issues go. I don't work for Stardock and I do not work for, volunteer with or have any connection to the operations of this site beyond helping others out whit computer issues, taking part in the message board and keeping my subscription up to date for the products "OD Net and Subscribing to WinCustomize" along with a number of the other Skinning applications of various developers.
So it isn't a business issue from my perspective, it's personal, and personally I find your penchant for explaining away your lack of subscribing and following it up with demands rather BOGGLING...
You posted a response in the thread started by Brad about how you do not use the site enough or download enough to personally justify Subscribing to the site. Which is fine with me and I see nothing wrong with that position in the least.
Then followed it up with this thread and rant about the News Letter within in a matter of minutes. Which I find mind boggling because in one thread you openly state you make the choice to not support the site.
Then in this one you start a rant about the news letter and attempt to enlist others to your cause only to finish it out with a curt "please". (or so it reads)
And far as the economy goes, you can look to DC for that and as far as the Customer and Support issues go. I don't work for Stardock and I do not work for, volunteer with or have any connection to the operations of this site beyond helping others out whit computer issues, taking part in the message board and keeping my subscription up to date for the products "OD Net and Subscribing to WinCustomize" along with a number of the other Skinning applications of various developers.
So it isn't a business issue from my perspective, it's personal, and personally I find your penchant for explaining away your lack of subscribing and following it up with demands rather BOGGLING...
Erk.
Reply #11 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:38 AM
hehehe... seein' that word a lot round here lately
Reply #11 Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:38 AM
| BOGGLING... |
hehehe... seein' that word a lot round here lately
dodgerWA
Reply #12 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 4:53 PM
Reply #12 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 4:53 PM
IPlural, the reason you find it so boggling is that you don't have complete information about the situation. My comments about not using this site (Wincustomize) enough to justify a subscription have nothing to do with my being a customer of Stardock.
I supported Stardock back when they were exclusively an OS/2 company. I purchased both the pre-release and final versions of of Avarice. Since moving their product offerings to the Windows platform, I was an ODNT subscriber for at least two years. While the current economic climate has deprived me of the disposable income to continue to support Stardock financially, I continue to recommend them to friends and will re-establish my subscription as soon as I can afford to do so.
Add to this the fact that the newsletter is a *Stardock* communication and not soley a *Wincustomize* one and I think I'm perfectly entitled to complain as a customer about the use of extraneous formatting that is not universally recognized by all e-mail readers. (As to the "quality" of my e-mail client, I'd point out that CSS and HTML is not part of the SMTP specification.)
I'm not making any demands about this site. I have never done so, as I am obviously not the core audience (I've made it very clear over the years that I am more interested in the additional functionality Stardock products provide than their skinning features). I am making a request to return the Stardock newsletter (which somewhere along the line was renamed the WinCustomize newsletter) to a more readable method of formatting like it used to be. I'm not making demands, I'm expressing a long-felt frustration and requesting a return to methods Stardock used to use. Please don't forget the people who helped you get where you are, Brad.
I supported Stardock back when they were exclusively an OS/2 company. I purchased both the pre-release and final versions of of Avarice. Since moving their product offerings to the Windows platform, I was an ODNT subscriber for at least two years. While the current economic climate has deprived me of the disposable income to continue to support Stardock financially, I continue to recommend them to friends and will re-establish my subscription as soon as I can afford to do so.
Add to this the fact that the newsletter is a *Stardock* communication and not soley a *Wincustomize* one and I think I'm perfectly entitled to complain as a customer about the use of extraneous formatting that is not universally recognized by all e-mail readers. (As to the "quality" of my e-mail client, I'd point out that CSS and HTML is not part of the SMTP specification.)
I'm not making any demands about this site. I have never done so, as I am obviously not the core audience (I've made it very clear over the years that I am more interested in the additional functionality Stardock products provide than their skinning features). I am making a request to return the Stardock newsletter (which somewhere along the line was renamed the WinCustomize newsletter) to a more readable method of formatting like it used to be. I'm not making demands, I'm expressing a long-felt frustration and requesting a return to methods Stardock used to use. Please don't forget the people who helped you get where you are, Brad.
dodgerWA
Reply #13 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 4:54 PM
Reply #13 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 4:54 PM
As to the timing between my posts. Well, duh. That's because I don't come here very often (as I've stated).
MadIce
Reply #14 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 5:26 PM
Reply #14 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 5:26 PM
1) As I understand you cannot correctly read that e-mail (or at least) use its links. A lot of people think these days that OE and IE are great products, but these do contain some bugs and incompatibilities. And of course other products do too. The problem is that these are the most popular software products ATM and people and software companies tend to forget to test other similar products. And that of course is annoying. In Stardock's case this is just an assumption, so don't shoot me (either party). 
2) I think Brad does not forget the people from the first hour. Besides, that has absolutely nothing to do with your point. And you supporting Stardock is of course appreciated too. But I don't think that this issue was born out of disrespect.
Maybe this thread results in attention for your problem. You might also want to consider mailing a bug report to support. Remember that it is holiday season now and that the company is closed until the 4th (I think). And lets hope they are not too busy with other things in januari.
Have a good X-mas and happy New Year!
2) I think Brad does not forget the people from the first hour. Besides, that has absolutely nothing to do with your point. And you supporting Stardock is of course appreciated too. But I don't think that this issue was born out of disrespect.
Maybe this thread results in attention for your problem. You might also want to consider mailing a bug report to support. Remember that it is holiday season now and that the company is closed until the 4th (I think). And lets hope they are not too busy with other things in januari.
Have a good X-mas and happy New Year!
IPlural
Reply #15 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 5:26 PM
Reply #15 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 5:26 PM
ditto: MadIce
Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays
[Message Edited]
Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays
[Message Edited]
KarmaGirl
Reply #16 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 6:48 PM
Reply #16 Tuesday, December 23, 2003 6:48 PM
I use PMMail 2000 pro and I can read the content fine (it's not formatted perfectly, but I don't expect it to be considering the mail client that I use). You must know that PMMail is not intended for reading html, it's intended as a plain text email client. I am sure (since I use it also) that you get many other email that are not formatted correctly or have things stripped out (and put as attachments sometimes) because of its lack of html support.
Outlook and Outlook express are the standard if we like it or not (and I'm sure that most people who are reading this use it). It reads just fine on them.
We also had a poll about this subject. Here are the results: (the full question is: "What format do you prefer WinCustomize Magazine in?")
|
| ||||||
|
It appears that people who are active on WC typically like it the way that it is.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to please everyone, so as any company, we have to go with the majority.
Corio
Reply #17 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 9:11 AM
Reply #17 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 9:11 AM
I was just wondering: How often does the newsletter come out? I've been a Stardock subscriber for like 2 years now, and I have never received one. Do I have to subscribe to Wincustomize to get it, or am I missing something here?
Fuzzy Logic
Reply #18 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 11:18 AM
Reply #18 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 11:18 AM
Go into 'Edit Account' and tick where it says "Yes I want to receive the
WinCustomize NewsLetter"
WinCustomize NewsLetter"
IPlural
Reply #19 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:27 PM
Reply #19 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:27 PM
It actually is a well thought out and present digital publication that is at the same time informative and also speculative of the Skinning environment, trends, programs used, past, present and possibilities of the future. Covering all aspects including the evolution of the Operating System Environment and what it could or would mean to Skinning in general and at large.
anyway...
doderWA, it's great you have purchased software from Stardock for OS2. But the fact remains not a thing that I have posted missed the mark in the least. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers, but thats just my opinion as stated. I'll stop now as the point would be moot and promote nothing that could be considered positive by one iota...
anyway...
doderWA, it's great you have purchased software from Stardock for OS2. But the fact remains not a thing that I have posted missed the mark in the least. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers, but thats just my opinion as stated. I'll stop now as the point would be moot and promote nothing that could be considered positive by one iota...
Aqua.
Reply #20 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 2:40 PM
Reply #20 Wednesday, December 24, 2003 2:40 PM
Would it be too much trouble to offer it in both plain text and html formats? I know that many sites do just that.
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
|
|
Page 1 of 2 | |
|
|---|
Reply #1 Thursday, December 11, 2003 2:01 PM