There’s an unwritten (or, maybe, un-typed) rule: the more email you send, the more you get. If you discover a joke or anecdote and forward it along to others, you will undoubtedly end up on their unofficial “people I send funny stuff to” list. The problem is, you end up on a lot of other people’s lists, and pretty soon you’re getting the same joke or humorous picture from several different people, all at the same time. Throw in passing around a photo (that someone didn’t know how to size down for web dissemination), and your In Box and internet connection can be overwhelmed.

Speaking of photos (and other large files, for that matter), consider the capabilities of the person you’re sending email to before attaching a large file. If you know they’re using a cable modem or DSL, you’re probably safe sending them a larger attachment. However, some people who travel a lot are not always using their primary computer and internet connection. What if they’re “on the road” using a laptop via a dial-up connection in a hotel room in Timbuktoo, and the hotel or their ISP is charging them a per-minute access fee? Some email applications give the user the option to “skip over” emails of a specified size. Others don’t, and your prize photo may prove costly both in time and money for a road warrior waiting for it to download onto their laptop so they can get on to other important email.

Some ISPs also limit the size of email attachments, as large attachments slow down their servers and cost them precious bandwidth. If you’re going to be sending large attachments, like a bunch of higher-resolution photos, consider splitting up the group into a series of smaller emails, perhaps 1 MB or so maximum. Sure, it’s a little more work for you, but the emails will all get there and not be “returned unsent” by the ISP. When doing this, be sure to include, either in the title or the body of the email message, a line that reads something like: “Vacation Photos, 1 of 5”. This way the receiver knows how many separate emails you sent and can tell whether they all came through OK.

You’ve probably noticed that many of the emails you get today have images and colorful, bold text in the body of the message. How do they do that? It’s called HTML email. HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the stuff that web pages are made of, and those emails with pretty pictures and text are really just web pages, sent to you as email and displayed in your email application just like your web browser does it. Like most things, there are upsides and downsides to HTML email (which, by the way, you too can use if your email application supports it). The upside? You can adjust the text font, style, and color, the background color, even add a background image, and make each email a stylish spectacle. The downside? All of the above. Why? For example, in order for the viewer to see an image in your email, the image needs to be attached (or called from a separate location, which requires the receiver to be on line to see it). Also, all that extra code makes for a bigger (in kilobyte size) message, which takes longer to receive on a slower connection. Since all web browsers (and now email applications) see HTML a little differently, you never really know whether all your recipients are getting the message you intended.

Next time – more tips for email happiness.

© 2003 Peter F. Zimowski