Modern Internet e-mail Internet e-mail in modern society [edit] Flaming Many observers bemoan the rise of flaming in written communications. Flaming occurs when one user, usually upset at another user, sends the second user an angry and/or antagonistic message. Flaming is assumed to be more common today because of the ease and impersonality of e-mail communications: confrontations in person or over the phone will often be personal-enough to encourage conversants to "hold their tongue," and typing an unhappy message to another is far easier than seeking that other out and confronting them directly. [edit] Text/HTML Both plain text and HTML are used to convey e-mail. While text is certain to be read by all users without problems, there is a perception that HTML-based e-mail has a higher aesthetic value. [9] Advantages of HTML include the ability to include inline links and images, set apart previous messages in block quotes, wrap naturally on any display, use emphasis such as underlines and italics, and change font styles.