XP wordpad adds text

[HTMLKOOK]

I have just started doing my first HTML tutorials from HTMLgoodies.I am using Windows XP Wordpad and it keeps adding text e.g "\par" throughout my first HTML pages as well as a title.The tutorials use "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 //EN".
Is this ("-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 //EN) incompatible with Wordpad or perhaps my browser Firefox?

[Centauri]

Don't use Wordpad as it adds word-processor formatting info - use Notepad instead.

[felgall]

If you use wordpad you need to save as plain text and not as rich text.