[ale] Is there a reason why some people use attachments for email messages?

[Chuck Huber]

On Wed, Jan 08, 2003 at 06:18:09PM -0500, Geoffrey wrote:
> Some mailers do it automagically, or, autostupidly, as I don't care for 
> it either.

It's a combination of the sender's email client and the
receiver's email client.

The attachmets show up whenever an email is generated that's
multi-part MIME encoded.  Each part can have a "Content-disposition:"
header.  If the value if the header is "inline", the content should
be displayed along with the body text.

Typically MIME encoded email is used when there's supplemental data
associated with the message.  One such case is this message - there's
a digital signature that proves that the body text (in a separate
MIME attachment) was actually originated by me, and not by someone
pretending to be me.

Outlook usually does this because it formats every message in plain
text as well as RTF.  The RTF portion shows up as a "message.dat"
attachment and includes formatting, color, font, and the other
usual MS stuff.

Newer clients can understand the "inline" disposition while older
clients can not.  Outlook, Outlook Express, Ximian Evolution, mutt,
and exrc are all aware of this header and its meaning.  Older versions
of Outlook and many other simple emailers (pine?) are not and thus leave
the inline content as an attachment.  Evolution mutt, and exrc are also
GnuPG and PGP ready.  (My personal opinion is that every message should
be digitally signed.  Those that aren't should be considered anonymous.
Anything that you don't want overheard, such as personal finances and
corporate trade secrets, should be encrypted and signed.)  If you don't
quite understand why encryption is important, read my signature below.

If you're receiving body text as an attachment, it's a little nudge that
you might think about upgrading to the newer standard. (yes, I said
standard).

Hope this helps.

Enjoy,
    - Chuck

> 
> Chris Woodruff wrote:
> >I am curious as to why some people do this.  No big deal but it is a pain 
> >to
> >open the attachment just to read a reply.  Thanks
> >
> >Chris Woodruff
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Ale mailing list
> >Ale at ale.org
> >http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> >
> 
> -- 
> Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net
> 
> The latest, most widespread virus?  Microsoft end user agreement.
> Think about it...
> 
> 
> 

-- 
"The purpose of encryption is to protect good people
from bad people, not to protect bad people from the government."
     Scott McNealy, CEO Sun Microsystems
"The best way for government to control people is to remain in
   a constant threat of war." ---Karl Marx
(18 USC 242), which applies to government agents overstepping their
authority:
  "Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation,
  or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory,
  or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or
  immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of
  the United States, . . . shall be fined under this title or
  imprisoned not more than one year, or both . . ."

 PGP signature