In this blog, we contemplate the argument made for Microsoft to embrace web standards as they apply to the marketing & design communities.

Outlook's Broken. Let's Fix It. | Union

Outlook's Broken. Let's Fix It.

Of the many pangs of being a web developer, one that rises to the tip-top in terms of pain-in-the-assness is backwards compatibility. Whether it means discarding cool features, scaling back designs or even creating a separate site altogether, the steps we take to ensure backwards compatibility for browsers and email clients not only <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/03/25/save-the-developers-stop-using-internet-explorer-6/">hinder our creative potential</a>, but also costs considerable amounts of time and, therefore, money.
In their latest victory over progression, Microsoft have declared war on advancements in email design. <a href="http://fixoutlook.org">FixOutlook.org</a> has taken a stand and is encouraging people like me and you to let Microsoft know that we're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore. From their site:
<blockquote>
Microsoft have just confirmed they plan on using the crippled Word rendering engine to display HTML emails in Outlook 2010.
This means for the next 5 years your email designs will need tables for layout, have no support for CSS like float and position and no background images. Not to mention the long list of bugs and quirks that break the simplest of layouts.
Outlook 2010 is still in beta and Microsoft have confirmed they want to hear your feedback on this decision. It's time for the email marketing and design community to rally together and encourage Microsoft to embrace web standards before it's too late.
</blockquote>
They have launched an aggressive <a href="http://www.twitter.com/studiobanks">Twitter Campaign</a> and <a href="http://fixoutlook.org">an impressive site</a> to go along with it. Join the cause, fight the power, Viva La Resistance! Also, Easter Egg Alert! In the image above you'll see the Twitter avatar of one <a href="http://twitter.com/jtnall">Taylor Nall</a>, one of our friends from <a href="http://www.carbonhouse.com">Carbonhouse</a>.

Outlook's Broken. Let's Fix It.

Valtech Union is a creative &amp; performance marketing agency that creates omni-channel campaigns, unleashing creativity on a data-driven world, helping brands produce memorable, measurable and repeatable results. Obsessed with data-driven performance, we believe every marketing dollar should be viewed as an investment. Our clients expect a meaningful return and we prove the ROI of our work with quantifiable data.