OK Folks, here's the solution for those of you using Outlook 98 (as well as
Exchange Client or the good ol' InBox, if you're really still using that -
although the instructions will be slightly different)...

Outlook 98 (the latest and greatest Outlook) supports FOUR formats for
E-Mail, and two options for formatting this mail.

1.  FORMATS:

  Plain Text
  Rich Text Format
  HTML
  Microsoft Word (Document Format)

2.  OPTIONS:

  All Messages
  Case-by-Case, either in the address book, or within the message properties

To set Outlook to use Plain Text, all the time, for every message:

- Go to your Inbox (or other "mail" folder)
- Click Tools, then click Options
- Select the "Mail Format" Tab
- Select "Plain Text" in the first dropdown ("Send mail in...")

Also - stay away from "Stationery" and "VCards".

To set format for an Address Book Recipient - then all mail to this
recipient receives mail in this format all of the time...

- Open the Address Book
- Select an entry by double-clicking on it
- At the bottom of the dialog with the entry detail, check the "Send in
Plain Text" checkbox
- Click OK.

TIP:  I have an HP3000-L entry in my address book, and it is set this way -
which is why HP3000-L messages are sent in plain text.

ANOTHER TIP:  Replies take on the same format in which they were sent.  If
you are replying to a message sent with plain text (known by the use of the
"Courier New" font, which is fixed pitch), then your reply will be plain
text.  If the message is RTF, so will your reply (even if the addressee is
set to Plain Text in your address book)!  Be careful here, and see below.

To set Outlook for a message-by-message basis (such as the case just
mentioned - replying to an RTF message):

- With the message window open (either before, during or after typing the
message), Click File
- Click Properties from the File Menu
- Uncheck the "Send in Microsoft Outlook Rich Text Format" checkbox.
- Click OK.

TIP:  Your font will not change - it will still show as RTF on your screen,
but the message will go as plain text.

ANOTHER TIP:  This checkbox is set using the "default" (see "All Messages"
above).  If you have this set to Plain Text, then the message-level
properties for RTF should be UNCHECKED.  If your "default" is other than
Plain Text, then this checkbox will be checked off.

Lastly - use of RTF or HTML here on 3000-L is not really proper because of
the number of different mailers being used.  I had people reply with
everything from Elm to Outlook 98, and virtually everthing in between.
Everyone saw the test message just fine (which means that the "Address Book"
level works).

The bad thing about RTF is that any attachments are made to the RTF copy,
and are imbedded into the WINMAIL.DAT file attachment itself.  This file, by
the way, contains the RTF code, and an RTF-enabled mailer such as the
Microsoft mailers, as well as newer AOL and CompuServe can read and decode
these files.  Most can't - and therefore, any attachments to the message are
not visible either, under normal circumstances.

Anyway - again, I hope this is helpful.  These instructions are also close
for Outlook (97).  Please consult your documentation (read:  "RTM" :) on
your mailer to see how RTF is turned off for other mailers.

Best Regards,
Joe

Joe Geiser
CSI Business Solutions, LLC
 ** Your Client-Server and Internetworking Specialists **
140 Bristol-Oxford Valley Road, Suite 102
Langhorne, PA 19047-3083
Phone: +1 (215) 945.8100  Fax: +1 (215) 943.8408