1742703 - RFE: Warn the user if a content that requires HTML e-mail is sent as plain ASCII mail

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: Message Compose Window, enhancement)

Description

[ISHIKAWA, Chiaki]

This RFE is similar to the warning to the user if attachment is missing when there is a word "attachment", etc. in the main body text.

Synoposis.

step 1. I wanted to attach a graphics image to a message.
And graphics only.
Usually, I create a graphics file and attach that graphics file to an e-mail and send it.
But I was in a hurry and just puts the graphics by copy and paste it, basically
creating an HTML mail that requires HTML mail, I think.
Note that there is no text in the mail. Simply the graphics only.

step 2. I then proceeded to send the e-mail.
I set the preference to send ASCII e-mail as much as possible.

step 3.
I think TB showed whether I wanted to send the e-mail as HTML mail, etc.
But I routinely send an e-mail as ASCII e-mail.
So I failed to choose the option to send an HTML or ASCII/HTML mixed e-mail.

Step 4. Result. The resulting recipient received an empty e-mail, I think.
No trace of the graphics.

Depending on the user scenario, this could result in a data loss (think of the graphics only available temporarily and the sender wanted to send it to someone for safe keeping.)

I wish TB would produce an additional warning at step 3 stating that the content will be
lost if I send an ASCII e-mail instead of an HTML mail.
(I am not sure how we can detect this situation. Maybe we can simply scan the message body and if there is an inserted graphics, TB should generate additional warning for the potential loss of content on sending/receiving.)

PS: I realized have already filed Bug 1298761.
It seems there are UI or UX issues concerning HTML e-mail composition and sending out when the user select the ASCII-text e-mail instead of selecting HTML format upon sending.