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HTML Email

ControlZ

6:46 am on Jul 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member

I designed an HTML formatted email to be sent out via a MySQL database using PHP. Before I configured the database, I tried sending the email out by simply copying and pasting the email into Outlook Express. Of course every email program I read the HTML email in looks fine, EXCEPT AOL!

I've done all the reasearch, including reading AOL's crappy suggestions. The HTML email formats great in AOL's email client, but for some reason the (2) images I am using only show up as links. I have a feeling it has something to do with the MIME Type, but not sure how to set this.

Here's what I have within the HTML document:
<html>

<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="Multipart/alternative;charset=iso-8859-1">

I also tried, but to no avail:
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1">

I am referencing the images as follows:

<img src="http://www.mysite.com/images/myimage.gif" height="1" width="1">

All the resources on the Web pretty much rehash the same info, but no one seems to know how to format HTML email for AOL versions 6+. I know the stuff about lesser versions and I am not really concerned. Yes AOL does suck, but many of the people who will be receiving this email use AOL. A text based email is not an option.

Thanks in advance!

webboy1

10:09 am on Jul 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member

Not sure if this will fix your problem in anyway, but we had the same problem earlier in the year.

We were sending out a text based email to our database. It included details of an auction that had taken place. This email looked fine in every email client i checked it on, but for some reason, on AOL, all pound signs, and the 2 characters that followed it were missing. Strange.

Test after test, and chats with AOL "Technical" support got me no further. Agree with you though that, no matter how bad AOL may be, people still use them for email, and so the problem needs fixing.

Our fix...........we sent the original email out to all the non-AOL email accounts in our Database, then altered the email slightly to work on AOL i.e. rewrite without using pound signs and other special characters, and sent it to all the AOL emails.

Again, not sure this will help, but you could try creating an AOL and non AOL version of your newsletter.

Webboy

ControlZ

5:11 pm on Jul 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member

Yea, AOL has limited support for special characters. I could easily create a text-based email for the losers who use AOL, but this defeats the purpose.

I've come to the conclusion I have done one of two things wrong.

1. I am not using Mime 1.0

2. I have the incorrect content type.

You would think with 25+ million people using AOL, there would be more support. Thanks anyway for the advice.