[thelist] CDONTS and Web-based email readers (ASP)

[John Dowdell]

At 12:45 PM 11/26/1, Shaun Anderson wrote:
> Shouldn't having an attachment be relayed be a standard thing though?

I think it used to be like that, back in simpler days, but I know there are
various exceptions to that today. I don't know the overall statistics
however. Here are some of the scenarios:

--  Some mail servers explicitly bar attachments for security reasons,
whether from all sources or just external sources... links to servers are
used for file-transfers instead.
   (For instance, naive office users don't always know not to click on
rogue attachments like today's BadTrans.B keylogger, so they protect by
general prohibition rather than by rearguard prevention.)

--  Some individuals set up their systems to not automatically download
anything pushed at them.

--  Some web-based mailing services don't permit attachments for either
security or legal reasons (anonymous filesharing, eg).

I don't know the individual cases here, but I do know that email
attachments are not universally supported these days...?

jd