embed rather than attach

[Michael Havens]

Ohhhh.... you think I have bad intentions? Not I! I send my father a 
spreadsheet as an attachment (oocalc) weekly and he requested I send it in 
the body of the text.  Now I need to find out how to do this!

Thanks for the information you gave. I guess all the spam I get has a purpose 
now!

lol

On Friday 06 April 2007 12:08 pm, Alan Dayley wrote:
> Reply bottom posted...
>
> vodhner at cox.net wrote:
> > Hi, Michael.
> >
> > ---- Michael Havens <bmike101 at cox.net> wrote:
> >> I want to embed things into an email so that they appear as the
> >> text of the message rather than as an attachment.
> >
> > What you are describing sounds like an HTML email message.  If you really
> > know your audience for the message, this may be OK.  But there are some
> > things you should know . . .
> >
> > HTML email messages are controversial and considered harmful, dangerous,
> > immoral, tacky, rude or spamiferous by many people in the FOSS community.
> >
> > Many people block HTML messages out of hand, or automatically redirect
> > them to spam reporting centers.  Many people set their email client to
> > present HTML emails as plain text and not render any graphics or other
> > non-text content.
> >
> > A common trick in spamming is to put an image at the top of the message
> > containing what looks like normal text.  Spam detectors have trouble
> > recognizing stock hype and anatomical enlargement pitches when they're in
> > image form.
> >
> > Another common trick is to have a link to a one-pixel graphic with a
> > serialized filename unique to your email address, so that the sending
> > site will get a web-hit that tells them that your email address is
> > working.  Anybody in the know sets their mail client to *not* fetch any
> > external images referenced by links in an HTML message, because this is
> > also a way to drag in potentially hostile objects (although less so for
> > Linux-based recipients).
> >
> > But you asked, so here's how:  Compose the body of your message as an
> > HTML document -- pick apart some examples to see how.   Set the content
> > type to text/html.  Read up on multipart email formats, and create an
> > alternative part in the message for those who are blocking HTML:  this is
> > where you use the multipart/alternative content type, and then include a
> > text/plain as well as a text/html part.
> >
> > One way around the blocked-external-links issue is to embed graphics as
> > separate binary parts within the message and refer to them with internal
> > links.  I've seen it done but don't know how.  But you said you want your
> > embedded pieces to "appear as the text of the message", so I don't
> > understand why you don't just /make/ them the text of the message.  If
> > you're talking about font effects, coloring, etc., then all that you know
> > about HTML can apply here, but any CSS you use should be set inside the
> > message and not refer to anything external.
> >
> > Bottom line:  Don't do it, Michael.  But if you must, then just be aware
> > that your message will be received differently by different people, and
> > not received at all by some.
> >
> > Good luck,
> >
> > Vic
>
> Victor,
>
> This is one of the best explanations about the negatives of HTML email
> that I have every read.  Thank you!
>
> Can I quote you?
>
> Alan
>
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