[P2assist] Listserv attachments

[Greg Flynn]

Attachments and listservs don't go well together.

Some listservs do not allow any attachments or graphics.  Using
attachments can distribute viruses efficiently, hog bandwidth, slow mail
service, use up recipients' storage quotas and assumes that everybody
has the same platform, program, version and fonts on their computer.

Problems can be experienced by "digest" subscribers when the listserv
opens up a specific file attachment as a generic file and repacks it for
the digest, giving them a chunk of code.  Other problems can result from
the unique way Microsoft Outlook manages attachments.  Some email
accounts won't send or receive more than one attachment at a time and
most limit the size, sometimes deleting oversized emails.

Best solution in order to understand and be understood on a listserv:
Keep listserv messages in unformatted text.  Don't use attachments,
graphics or formatting and don't embed objects or web pages in the
message.  Use links to web pages for expanded content.

If it becomes a problem the listserv could be set to reject email with
attachments.

Here's a tip for sending a formatted document as an attachment to
regular email that has the best chance of being understood by a wide
range of programs:
Save it in "Rich Text Format" and check it for appearance.  Some of the
fancier formatting will be removed but the resulting "filename.RTF" file
can be opened by many programs intact as long as the recipients know
what it is.

Greg Flynn

--
Greg Flynn, Facility Architect
NC Division of Forest Resources
1616 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-1616
919-733-2162 x 210
919-218-4820  cell
919-733-2835   fax