[TowerTalk] phantom attachments

[J. Bradshaw]

Pete, 
I used to send E-mail in HTML format at first because I was told it was
compatible and allows sending in color and different fonts.  I am running
IE3 and windows Messaging.  It is made compatible by sending the message in
BOTH text and HTML.  Something along the way may be splitting the text and
coded portions.

This is a waste of bandwidth.  Especially when sending returns that include
the original.  I have since selected the box for TEXT ONLY because it is
perfectly legible and adequate for transferring my ideas.  In IE3 Internet
Mail, select Mail; Options; on Send tab select TEXT.  I have no need to
send a full blown TV commercial.

Your correct about virus transmission via attachments.  Although only .bat,
.sys and .exe files are executable, other extensions may be recognized by
word and excel, being converted and passing insidious macros.  Its kind of
like having your house robbed.  It doesn't happen often, but don't think it
can't happen to you too.  Once it happens, it changes your perspective. 
You GOTTA HAVE a virus check program that has E-mail, Internet and macro
protection.

I got bit by a .doc file once.  It was a newsletter from a school ham club
about 50 miles away.  I have no idea if it was malicious, the sender might
not have known if he had been infected from a student, but within a week,
800 megs was forever lost.  I would like to know if these macro viruses may
be passed to word from HTML via Internet Assistant?

I realize this may not be relevant to reflector topics, but it does concern
us all.

73 de ac6tk, Jim

> From: Pete Smith <n4zr@contesting.com>
> To: cq-contest@contesting.com; towertalk@contesting.com;
dx@ve7tcp.ampr.org
> Subject: [TowerTalk] phantom attachments
> Date: Sunday, February 22, 1998 01:03 PM
> 
> For some time now I've been noticing that some e-mails are arriving with
> what I call "phantom attachments."  These are attachments that are not
> mentioned in the text of the incoming e-mail , but are nonetheless
decoded
> and placed in my Eudora\attach subdirectory.  When viewed with Netscape,
> they are almost all HTML - in some cases, with headers indicating the
HTML
> generator, in other cases not.  Those that are HTML appear to be simple
> repetitions of the content of the e-mail.  Those that are not HTML appear
> to be just ASCII junk.
> 
> OK -- so why am I wasting the reflectors' time with this?  Because
> attachments can also be a prime transmitter of viruses.  These "phantoms"
> 
> 
> usually lack any filename extension that would identify them as .exe or
> anything else.  If you inadvertently double-click on the filename of one
of
> these, and if it is in fact an executable containing a virus, then you
> could get bitten.
> 
> I'd like to propose a 3-part solution.  First, can one of the computer
> gurus out there tell us why some messages arrive both as e-mail text and
as
> MIME-attached HTML "echoes?"  And can the same guru also explain to us
> lay-people how to prevent sending attachments when we don't mean to?  And
> third, how about amending the FAQ to explain to people how to do step 2,
> and the "do's and don'ts" of attachments in general?
> 
> Yours for safe e-mail ...
> 
> 73, Pete Smith N4ZR
> n4zr@contesting.com 
> 
> "That's WEST Virginia.  Thanks and 73"
> 
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