Mail Options Dialog

Figure 6.8. 

Prefer HTML if available:

If this option is selected, Columba shows the HTML part of a message, if it has been sent in both formats. This is called multipart/alternative messages. Basically messages which are send in two different formats at once, plain text or html. If unchecked, the plain text version is displayed. Note that many people will not open HTML messages as it is a favourite tool of spammers / virus writers. It is also often used with embedded graphics / hidden links to track when you actually displayed the message. While HTML can make a message more "pretty", it adds (sometimes greatly) to the size of the message and is considered by most security savvy users to be too great a security risk.

Tip

The attachment viewer lets you view the alternative format.

Display emoticons as graphics:

Selecting this options makes the message viewer replace ASCII art with graphics.

Mark messages as read after ~ seconds:

If this option is selected, Columba automatically marks a message as read after it was viewed by you. Specifying a interval of 0 seconds, immediately marks the message read.

Ask when sending messages with empty subject:

When composing messages with an empty Subject: headerfield, you will be asked to enter a subject. If this option is not selected, Columba just sends the message with an empty subject. Be aware though that messages with blank subject fields are often deleted as spam by some people / filters (and even when the email address of the sender is known).

Send HTML messages with alternative text part:

If this option is selected, HTML messages will be send in text plain and in HTML format. Sometimes people can not read HTML messages, so sending the text plain format additionally eliminates this problem.

Forward messages:

Forward message as attachment, just adds the message as attachment. Whereas forwarding messages as quoted, lets you edit the quoted message bodytext.

Tip

You can always explicitly forward a message in the format you like from the Message menu.