[vet-mm] RE: Flash help Decoding the .DAT file

[Con Zymaris]

On Mon, Jul 18, 2005 at 08:15:54AM +1000, pmaxted at delasalle.melb.catholic.edu.au wrote:
> Dear VET MM listers,
> 
> Dealing with the winmail.dat file: the problem and the solutions

Paul,

thanks for starting this thread.

> 
> The Problem
> Email users sometimes find that they receive email messages with a 
> strange file attached, called winmail.dat. When they attempt to open 
> this file, either it can't be opened at all, or it contains "garbage" data. 
> 
> The situation causing this is that people are using several different 
> email client programs to receive, read, and send email. The most 
> commonly used email client programs at GPC seem to be Microsoft Outlook 
> and Netscape (specifically the Messenger component), with a small 
> minority of techno-geeks using Eudora. Unfortunately, Outlook does not 
> "play nice" with the other email programs all the time. This causes 

It's interesting how it's often the Microsoft application that doesn't 
play nice in the sandpit with the others ;-)

> problems, not for the sender of the email, but the recipient, 
> particularly when actual files are attached to messages. 
> 
> Solution
> Use the attached WmDecode zip file. Extract the exe and simply drag the 
> .dat file onto it!

Actually, I have an alternate suggestion.

It is standard cordial netiquette to _not_ send large attachments to 
mailing lists, unless you know for sure that every single member of that 
list is expecting that large attachment. 

Under most circumstances, the best solution is to drop that attachment
into a directory visible to your web server, and then send that URL link
to the list. Those who want the content, can click to download. Those who
don't, aren't forced to.

Cheers,
 
Con Zymaris, Convenor
Open Source Victoria
http://www.osv.org.au/
-- 
___________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne, Australia 
Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company 
Web: http://www.cyber.com.au/  Phone: 03 9621 2377   Fax: 03 9621 2477