First: I run a popular newsletter that uses custom HTML theming and CMS customization. I don’t work in marketing. I just genuinely think HTML in email is actually a value add. Not everyone you disagree with works in marketing.
Secondly: The problem you’re pointing at is bad implementation of standards, which is entirely on Microsoft and Google. (Mostly Microsoft.) The reason HTML doesn’t work well in email is because of bad prioritization, which has led to kludge upon kludge.
> The reason HTML doesn’t work well in email is because of bad prioritization, which has led to kludge upon kludge.
Honestly the main reason is that HTML/CSS expanded well over the creation of documents into the creation of apps. Email content does not really need all of that, it will always only support a subset of that causing confusion.
That said, the lack of standards is definitely the worst aspect of all of this and resulted in the current absolute chaos
Secondly: The problem you’re pointing at is bad implementation of standards, which is entirely on Microsoft and Google. (Mostly Microsoft.) The reason HTML doesn’t work well in email is because of bad prioritization, which has led to kludge upon kludge.