[petercooper]

These emails are minimally styled HTML emails rather than "plain text" (in the original email text/plain sense). If there are links using normal text (rather than just autolinked URLs) or a logo, it's HTML – so deliverability or privacy arguments based around being "plain text" don't entirely hold up.

Now, do I think there are accessibility and privacy benefits to be had by sending truly plain text email? Absolutely. No open trackers possible, no potential for HTML related vulnerabilities, no dangerous elements to filter..

[diarrhea]

In an ideal world, I would like to write plain Markdown and send an email off like that, with conversion to HTML happening in the background. A suitable Thunderbird addon for this [1] seems abandoned. Formatting HTML is a real struggle for me in Thunderbird's WYSIWYG editor. On the other hand, using plain-text lacks in readability (lists, short links instead of full URLs, headers, quotes, ...).

[1]: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/markd...

[GordonS]

I wish this became a standard - plain text is great, but sometimes you do want style and formatting, and HTML mail is beyond horrible to get working across clients (yes, I know there are a few well known templates, but still).

I think the problem is that HTML and CSS are now so big, and people use such a range of device sizes, that writing clients to display things accurately and consistently is very hard. Markdown sounds perfect to fill the gap between HTML and plain text.

[eikenberry]

The conversion should happen in the receiving client. That way it can be configured to the tastes of the person reading it and it would make pre-processed in other ways easier. Plus its backward compatible with plain test clients.

[mottosso]

I've been using "Markdown Here" for the past few years and live in this ideal world already. It's great, you should come visit. :)

[diarrhea]

The link in my comment is to "Markdown Here" as a Thunderbird addon, but it is not compatible with recent Thunderbirds.

[mtlynch]

+1 for Markdown-Here. It works well enough for me despite it being abandoned.

[petercooper]

It's more for newsletters than normal day to day email but Swizec Teller (a regular here) made https://techletter.app/ which may be of use to some with Markdown to email needs. It even drags in tweets, code, and so forth and renders it without you doing anything.