On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:53:54 -0400 J Messeder said: > I was amazed to learn how much space is taken simply by header/routing > information. I learned about that when I tried to send a 10Mb picture > and was refused by my ISP (Comcast) because I'd exceeded the 13M limit. > I wouldn't want to be quoted on the exact numbers, but the difference > was huge, and my message had not included any body text or formatting.)
As far as that goes, that 10M was the binary file on your computer, right? The encoding for email transmission increases the attachment size anywhere between 20 and 40 percent. So that 10M binary file could have been over 13M easily, all by itself. The message headers would only add a few kBytes at most. Email is a +text only+ medium. To send a binary file through it, the file has to be translated into text, which takes up more space. You don't see this happening because your email client takes care of the details for you. > But yes, the messages I was sending me last night were html -- > although they actual body contained no formatting other than what > initial coding would have identified the font, etc. There were no > pictures, italics or bold to deal with in the text. I even stripped off > my formatted signature. Properly constructed HTML messages bodies are a bit over twice the size of a plain text message, because it should have a plain text section and an HTML section. Which one is shown to the recipient depends on the capabilities of their email client. So if a plain text message, including headers, would be 2k, then writing the same message in an HTML writing client should be about 3.1k. HTML doesn't really bulk up the message more than that unless you're doing really fancy or stupid things like constantly changing the text layout as you go, including embedded elements such as graphics, java/javascript, or CSS and as far as I'm concerned, anyone who does THAT (the scripting in email) should have their fingers removed at the shoulder. Or maybe the neck, I haven't quite decided yet. -- Jeffrey Kaplan www.gordol.org The from userid is killfiled Send personal mail to gordol DISCLAIMER: The entire physical universe, including this product, may one day collapse back into an infinitesimally small space. Should another universe subsequently re-emerge, the existence of this product in that universe cannot be guaranteed.
