I've received a couple of questions in the last few hours over the blank message body such as from Bob Ward earlier this afternoon, so let me clarify it a bit further. The requirement FOR ROOTSWEB LISTS has always been standard text format messages ONLY, and no attachments. Some systems do allow HTML format and others allow attachments, and some allow both, but RootsWeb does not in the interest of diminishing the liklihood of transmitting viruses through the mail. About 18 months or so ago, with the implementation of the new mail system at RW we also installed the capability to convert most (not all) HTML into text for you if you did not send them as text, so that is why many of you here lately are still seeing messages go through normally even though you do send them in HTML. Unfortunately, the system cannot convert properly ALL of the HTML messages sent, and when it gets one it cannot it strips away the HTML anyway but cannot convert it, and that results in the blank message body such as we had this afternoon. It is always better to send the messages in text format in the first place, because that is the only way to be sure it will make it through. Now then, how do you send a message in text format? That depends on your e-mail software, but nearly all of them have some means of doing it either on an individual message basis or else for all messages. I cannot begin to advise you how to set your software to do it because they are all different in one way or another, but there is almost certainly a way to do it with all of them. I use Outlook 2003, and it allows me to set individual addresses (like RW lists) to automatically go out in text, and also to convert an individual message to text manually before sending it, so I am sure most comparable software will do similar. I hope this answers the questions of the people who asked me off list. If not, you should have a way of setting your software to send in text format one way or another. I hope this helps. David E. Cann rigenweb-admin@rootsweb.com Admin of the Rhode Island statewide mailing list and message board on RootsWeb List information: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/USGenWeb/RIGENWEB.html -----Original Message----- From: rigenweb-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:rigenweb-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of David E. Cann Sent: Saturday, 3 May 2008 4:39 PM To: Rhode Island List Posting Subject: [RI] Notes From The Admin (blank message body) If you are having trouble with messages showing up on the list with a blank message body, check to see if you are sending your post in HTML format or something other than standard text. ONLY TEXT messages will go through to the list, and if you are sending them in HTML then RW will try to convert them to text but sometimes this process simply removes all HTML but is unable to convert it to text, leaving nothing but a blank message on the list. It is always best to write and send your post in text formatting, which should eliminate this problem. David E. Cann <snip>