I wouldn't say _never_. But pretty close.

Hey, you expressed emphasis in plain text without using formatting!

No, just markup. Much easier to parse...

Some people can use it for good. Many other people just add headache, not useful emphasis.

I think the better curmudgeonly solution, then, is not to read email from people who use HTML without restraint, rather than not to read email from people who use HTML.

I've found being the asshole tech guy who pulls crap like that is a losing strategy.

Perhaps I'm just not good enough at being the asshole tech guy who pulls crap like this though.

I'm not suggesting either; I'm just proposing a less "asshole tech guy" solution than what the original commenter said: "I am seriously considering just dropping all HTML email."

Formatting helps the least, those who use it most.

If you write well, removing the formatting won't delete information.