Can\'t send TIFF files to AOL...

[snuffysbluff]

A client of mine recently installed cable. They use their AOL address to receive e-mail. Something about extra charges using the cable address. ??

I sent them a one meg TIFF file of bitmapped art.
What they got (4 trys) is this...
...broken icon  
 
It's an all Mac shop so that's not an issue.
They gave me the cable address and they received the file, so no problem.

I'd just like to know why?

[pendragon]

SB, I too have AOL and cable, with AOL principally being used for email.

For folks like me, AOL has what they call  "Bring Your Own Access (BYOA) Plan." This plan charges $14.95 per month, which includes unlimited AOL usage through an Internet connection not provided by AOL.  It also includes five free hours of dial up access in the U.S. each month, and each hour is only $2.95 per hour after that.

I hate to ask, but does your client still have his AOL account or was it somehow cancelled when he switched ISPs? Is it that he is not receiving mail or just TIFFs? I am uncertain what the file size limit AOL has imposed, but if the TIFF file is very large, perhaps that has something to do with the problem.

And finally, as a check, you can send the file to me and then I’ll let you know what happens.

Harv

[snuffysbluff]

Pendragon...

The client says they receive files all the time with the AOL email and this broken icon is a very unusual thing...like never.

I would like to see if this is received by AOL at all.

The file is on it's way...thanks.

Gary B

[Bruce_F]

Gary, did you put the file into a folder?

I'm not totally clear on this, but I thought I was told that files embedded inside folders and then stuffed or zipped will make it to AOL members.

It's worth a shot...

[tacit]

You weren't by any chance using Netscape to send the message, were you?

AOL, which owns Netscape, has invented a new email attachment standard for displaying images inline in a message body, rather than as attachments. Netscape's email program "helpfully" uses this new standard whenever it thinks you are sending an image, because it thinks it knows what's best.

Of course, since the AOL email client can't read a TIFF, you get the broken icon.

In any event, the problem is easy to fix. Stuff the TIFF with DropStuff or Stuffit Deluxe, and attach the .sit file to your email.

[pendragon]

Tacit, I just sent a .tiff as an attachment from one AOL email account to a different AOL email account on a different machine with a differnt OS. Upon reciipt, the attachement was present (as normal) and not embedded, nor was it broken.

Does AOL do what you said all the time or are there special conditions such as file size requirements that must first be present?    

Harv

[LR827]

Too big?  1 MB might be too big and it is timing out?

[snuffysbluff]

Tacit and Bruce probably have the answer. I'm going to be sending more art to the client in a couple of days.

Thanks Harv...Thanks Bruce...Thanks Lorraine       ...
And thanks Tacit (with a capital T)
...and hope you had a gratifyingly painful Birthday.    
 
 [ 03-28-2003, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: snuffysbluff ]

[tacit]

It depends on the version of AOL you're using, and the platform.

All MacOS Classic versions of AOL do not include attached image files inline. Some MacOS X versions do, some odn't. AOL 8.0 for PC (I believe) does try to include attached images inline, but they will appear as attachments on older versions of AOL for Classic. It's really quite a mess.

The Netscape email program seems to consistently try to attach anything it recognizes as a graphic inline, regardless of where it's going. I've consistently had problems with clients sending me images from Netscape's email module (I use AOL 5 for MacOS Classic and the newest beta for OS X).

[snuffysbluff]

tacit...and all...

It must have been the AOL/Netscape combination.

I sent 3 more TIFF files to the client this morning, but via Explorer's Outlook Express. They were received as viable attachments. No problems.

Thanks for the help