>> For example, what if the sender types in `You should go to http://ww.example.com, where "example" must be replaced with your company name`? Suddenly `www.example.com` has an unintended DDoS!
> Ah, so that doesn't happen if the sender types in the wrong thing in HTML...?
I can't tell if you're being purposely contrarian or simply don't understand users.
The problem: Things that shouldn't be links get turned into links.
Your response: $SOME_OTHER_PROBLEM
I mean, really? You can't tell the difference between someone making a typo when intending to write a link and someone making a typo that results in a link?
So if you send that as text that isn't HTMLified by the recipient's client, they'll copy it as text and paste it into the adress line of the browser. The problem is still that the recipient goes to an adress the sender didn't intend (i.e. the recipient is stupid); has nothing to do with HTML vs text.
Or, if you want, the problem is that the recipient's client software HTMLifies text. Stupid client software (and possibly stupid recipient, for using the stupid software). Still has nothing to do with HTML vs text per se. Yes, that is literally $SOME_OTHER_PROBLEM. I mean, really? You can't tell the difference between various formats and problems caused by something else entirely?
(I get the feeling your supercilious "I mean, really?" was intended to slyly convey that I was the one being stupid here. IMO that backfired rather convincingly.)
> Ah, so that doesn't happen if the sender types in the wrong thing in HTML...?
I can't tell if you're being purposely contrarian or simply don't understand users.
The problem: Things that shouldn't be links get turned into links.
Your response: $SOME_OTHER_PROBLEM
I mean, really? You can't tell the difference between someone making a typo when intending to write a link and someone making a typo that results in a link?