Email Attachment FAQ

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1.  What is an Attachment?

Virtually all modern email is transmitted in a format called MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). The MIME standard, specified by the RFC memoranda 2045-2049 and 4288, allows for "multipart" messages. The main consumer-end use for this is the inclusion of computer files with email messages. Those files are known as "attachments".

2.  How do I add an Attachment?

Adding an attachment with Vistua groupware mail system is very easy. Compose your message normally, but before sending, click on "add attachment". A little button that says "browse" or "choose file" or similar wording will appear. Click on that and use the window that appears to locate the file, then click "OK". You can add several attachments in this way. They will be uploaded and sent when you click "send".

3.  How do I Open an Attachment?

Some common types of attachments, such as images, can be displayed directly by the mail app. In any event, all of the attachments will be listed at the bottom of the message. You can click "download" next to each attachment to download it to your computer. The file will be downloaded to your "Downloads" folder. (Please do not allow excessive accumulation of files in this folder.)

The groupware includes a simple viewer that is capable of displaying most office documents directly without the need to download them and open a separate application. If the groupware thinks it can show you the attachment directly, a "view" link will appear as well. If it is a Excel spreadsheet, it will display "open as a Google Spreadsheet" instead. If it's a presentation, it may say "view slideshow" or similar language.

For a walk-through of this feature, please view this short slide-show.

You may also be shown a "View as HTML" link. This feature is not very intelligent and does not usually do a good job of rendering more complex documents.

4.  What's the Maximum Attachment size?

The groupware mail system supports a total message size of 25 megabytes for both sending and receiving. However this is because it is an enterprise system! Most consumer email services do not support a total message size over 5 megabytes, often much smaller. Generally, avoid sending a large number of attachments, or large attachments without making prior arrangements.

5.  What about Emailing File Archives?

This is not to be confused with the "archive" feature which allows you to remove messages from the Inbox view but keep them stored permanently without deleting them.

You can send and receive file archives as attachments provided

1. They do not contain any type of program executables.
2. They are not encrypted or password protected.
3. They do not contain additional archives within themselves.

6.  What file-formats should I use?

The following formats are recommended.

6.3  Video

In general one should not email videos as they:

1. Tend to be huge.
2. Do not have a true universal standard format.
3. And, it is difficult to find a trade off between acceptable picture quality, acceptable resolution and acceptable file-size within the constraints of Email.

Instead send a link to a video-hosting site like Youtube where you have uploaded the file.

If one must email a video, it should be in AVI, MP4 or Quicktime container format, with AC3 audio and H.264 or MPEG-4-visual ASP video at a vertical resolution no greater than 320 lines, progressively scanned, unletterboxed 4:3 or 16:9 aspect-ratio, square pixels. If you don't know exactly what all of that means, don't email a video.

Even that recommendation is problematic due to the widespread distribution of older versions of Windows which may not adequately support that format. If you know that the recipient is using Windows XP or earlier, substitute WMV2 video, WMA2 audio and WMV container format. Note that this will likely lead to poor picture quality.

Categories: Email