[Bug 262386] New: allow HTML by default

[Alexander van Loon]

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=262386

           Summary: allow HTML by default
           Product: kmail2
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Ubuntu Packages
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: NOR
         Component: general
        AssignedTo: kdepim-bugs at kde.org
        ReportedBy: a.vanloon at alexandervanloon.nl


Version:           unspecified (using KDE 4.5.90) 
OS:                Linux

I think HTML should be allowed by default, including loading external
references from the Internet. KMail (4.6 beta 3) here is the only e-mail client
I know of which is so paranoid to disable HTML by default, Evolution doesn't do
it and never gave me trouble in this regard.

The following happened yesterday. I received a newsletter, which I thought was
plain text because it looked okay (no HTML tags everywhere) and because I
didn't get a warning that KMail wasn't showing the HTML (the warning in the box
with the red lines). I didn't like the newsletter, but I didn't notice a link
to unsubscribe from it. I complained with the customer service, who told me
that there is a link in the message. I looked at the source and noticed the
link and the fact that was an HTML message and not plain text.

Enabling the options 'Prefer HTML to plain text' and 'Allow messages to load
external references from the Internet' in Settings > Configure KMail... >
Security fixed this and made KMail display the newsletter correctly.

But I didn't file this bug report for an incidental HTML message for which
KMail doesn't give it's usual warning that it isn't displaying it correctly.
Even if the user does get the warning and sees a messages littered with HTML
tags it's too intimidating. I'm not alarmed because I know about HTML and the
reasons why it should not be allowed for security considerations, but my mother
who is also using KMail does not. She was confused when she saw this happen and
had to ask me for help, she doesn't know anything about HTML (and she doesn't
read the explanations in the configuration dialog).

Let's face it, HTML messages are very common, all other e-mail client I know of
display them by default, novice users are confused when KMail isn't displaying
HTML even if it can be enabled to do so. And how serious is the security
threat? Those who worry about security can always disable HTML, but for the
sake of sane defaults, please enable these options by default.

Reproducible: Always

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