Using WebTV Email as Word Processor

Many thanks to Annie D. Johnson, an active member of the Webbie community and originator of this great tip!

     There are many testbeds and online word processors available to the LBB user. However, there are a few drawbacks, such as unavailibility of a spell checker. Using the coding below, you can use your email page as word processor. I use this all the time, and it works beautifully.
     Please follow these instructions to the letter.

  1. Bring up your "write new message" page.
  2. Address the message to yourself. You may, if you'll need to later edit your letter or report, use a "fake" address. This would be "YOURUSERNAME@webtv.net.xx", or leave off the "t" in "net". Either way, the message will bounce back as undeliverable. Click "Edit Message" and continue. If you're satisfied with your work, remove the ".xx" then send.
  3. In the subject area, type in your document's title or topic.
  4. At the very top of the message body, insert the following:
    <html> <body><spacer type="block" width="544" height="536"> Title and other contents of your letter or report. <pre>
    Make sure <html> is at the very top -- the very first line of the message body, or else your work will send back in raw HTML.
  5. Use the </tt> after the <pre> tag only if you don't want "typewriter" font. Document will then print out in Helvetica.
  6. Type your document, using the RETURN key just like a typewriter. Line and paragraph breaks are already pre-defined.
  7. You may use heading tags for your title. Other text effects – italics, bold, strikethrough, underlined, ordered/unordered lists, etc. – may be used.
  8. When you are finished, make sure you've placed closing tags: </pre>, </body>, </html> at end of message.
  9. Send the message to yourself.
Once your message arrives, open it, then print out.

What will happen
All email headings will print out first. Just the sender, addressee, time, and date. The rest will be blank. On the second page, your document should print out cleanly with no other markings. A nice, neatly formatted report.

WEBMISTRESS' TIP:
What to do with that blank first page? Do what I do – REUSE IT! Just place it back in the printer tray (printed side up if your printer is one of those deskjets -- paper tray is in front). Use that paper to print out grocery lists, memos to yourself, HTML codings, anything that doesn't demand a clean sheet. Save a tree!
RETURN TO:
Readymade HTML
Webbilicious

email