[Mailman-Users] FW: html emails

[Pamela Wilson]

I have an announce-only list that I manage with Mailman. I subscribe and
unsubscribe folks--they don't have access to the admin tools. I've been
trundling along fine sending twice-monthly plain-text emails to the list.
Now, however, I must begin sending HTML emails. Here are my neophyte
questions. 

1. Where is the setting for allowing messages that aren't just text? I tried
to send an HTML email to the list once and it got stripped before it was
delivered. I know there's that "plain" checkbox in Membership Management,
but the instructions make this look like it only pertains to digest-only
members. If it *is* for everybody, is there a way to globally uncheck that
box? I wouldn't want to have to physically uncheck 2000+ boxes.

2. I'm looking for recommendations on sending HTML email. I have always been
"against it" and find it annoying myself, so as a result I don't know too
much about making it happen. 

Should I send a multi-part MIME message? Or should I send an HTML email and
hope that people's mail readers will strip the HTML if their settings are
set to "plain text email only"? I naively hoped that my web designer pal was
going to help figure some of this stuff out, so at the end of my last
plain-text email, I told people this:

******************
E-NEWS GOING HTML 
The next edition of E-News will be in HTML format. If you do not wish to
receive HTML mail and you set your email program's preferences to reflect
this, E-News will continue to come to you as a plain text document.
******************

I would like this to be true, if at all possible! 

What programs do people use to create such messages?

Thanks for your help!

Pamela Wilson
Development and Communications Associate
The Women's Foundation
San Francisco, CA
web www.twfusa.org