I can't agree. I quite like html email. I just wish that it had an extremely cutdown subset (just colors, a few "header" sizes, italic, bold, underlined links), NO CSS allowed, no specifying of fonts other than say mono or "other". Maybe inline images links so that attached images could insert. No tables. Only <li> or <ul> Such a system would still be completely readable as plain old text. Now everyone thinks they have to use the kitchen sink approach or that there's not a middle ground.

I 100% agree.

I would love something like very simplistic markup, doesn't even have to be HTML. Just something to inline some images and differentiate text.

Everything else is just horrible.

I get so many emails with basically websites in them, but when you click on a product, the deep link is broken and you just end up on the storefront.

I'd much prefer a small text that talks about the product and explains a few things and then a working link to that product.