X-Message-Number: 2877
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 02:59:17 CDT
From: 
Subject: CRYONICS Image Transmission

        Thomas Donaldson recently suggested the .GIF standard for 
relaying images associated with technical reports.  I personally am 
partial toward the Windows bitmap .BMP format.  .BMP files are 
generalized Windows objects that can be cut/pasted from/into any 
Windows application file.  In contrast the GIF standard seems to be 
more isolated and "stand alone" in its application.
 
        One big problem which Thomas did not touch on is that both 
these formats (in fact all image storage formats) are binary, and 
cannot be transmitted by email which deals with text only.  The 
standard solution to this is to run the UUENCODE utility which 
converts binary files into text files.  These text files (which read 
like 50-100K of gibberish) can then be sent by ordinary email.  The 
recipient then runs UUDECODE to covert back to the original binary 
file format.
 
        Finally, I would strongly suggest that any UUENCODED graphical 
material be posted directly to a CRYOMSG archive, and not 
automatically blasted to the open net.  There's no better way to turn 
people off a mailing list than by regularly sending them 100K of 
gibberish text.  
 
                                                --- Brian Wowk

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=2877