[Lowfer] Sending pictures via LOWFER

[Doug Reed]

Hi Jay.

The remailer program, Mailman, does include a setting for maximum 
message size. It seems to consider the message text and the attachment 
as one object. That size is currently set at 40KB. Before I change that 
I need to find out if it is OK with the owners at QTH.NET. I think it 
will have to be a cooperative fix in any case. Simply opening it up to 
400KB would still find people with images at 450KB or 550KB, and can't 
we open it just a little more....

Choosing the most appropriate file format for the attachment is the 
first thing to do. I know it is dead easy to do CTRL+ALT+PrtScr to 
capture a screen image, paste it into Paint or Word or Excel, maybe crop 
it a little, and then save it. But that image is based on BMP and it 
contains hi-rez data with full 32-bit RGB color information, maybe 
around 400KB or more. But if you don't need full living color, you can 
tell Paint to save it in 256 color or 16 color mode and cut the picture 
size down toward 150K. But if you really want to cut down the size, you 
probably need to use one of the other image editing programs and save 
the file as a JPG file. You might be able to reduce that 400KB image 
file to something under 40KB so you can attach it to the email. Another 
image format with a high degree of compression is PNG. Your browsers 
should understand how to display either one.

I do understand how much easier it would be to just open up the limit 
and anything goes, but I have a bad view of the consequences at work 
every day. You know how nice and convenient PDF files are for storing 
mixed data and images. Well it can also be a nice way to make forms that 
people can fill out and send back. Even the IRS has started doing that 
for tax return forms. Then comes the desire to make the form pretty and 
maybe add some graphics. One form at work has AT MOST 2KB of text in 10 
questions that get short 2-5 word answers and maybe an image. The PDF 
form was created a little clumsily and the first generation form tended 
to be 1 to 1.5MB in size. The second generation was crafted better and 
got rid of the images and was "only" 180KB. Talk about efficiency! A 
180KB form to deliver a 2-3KB payload. Sounds like a moon shot.... I can 
make a similar form in Excel, maybe not as pretty, but usually under 
20KB for a similar payload. Since someone else pays for network storage, 
we still use the PDF forms at work, but it grates on me every time I use 
the form.....

There are any number of graphics conversion programs out there, many in 
freeware or shareware categories. Try a simple search for "freeware 
graphics conversion" and see what you get. Microsoft also has a couple 
good programs in addition to Paint which can be useful. I'm thinking 
specifically of the MS Picture Editor and another program called Imager. 
One or more of these is a free download from the Microsoft web site. I 
think it was in the MS Office add-on program list. Try saving your 
screen cap as a 256 color high-compression JPG or PNG graphic and then 
see if it still has sufficient detail for what you need to convey.

Good luck. I'll ask about increasing the message size limit.

73, Doug Reed, N0NAS.
LOWFER List Nanny

jrusgrove at comcast.net wrote:
> Doug
>
> Thanks for your work moderating this remailer. We don't hear from you 
> very often!
>
> Okay on the large images some folks are trying to send. Your e mail 
> makes it sound as though it's possible to send small images if the 
> overall size of the e mail plus image is less than 40 KB. If this is 
> the case, I wonder how it's done...since we can't seem to embed the 
> image or send it as an attachment?
>
> The RSGB_LF remailer does allow attachments as long as the overall 
> size of the e mail is small - roughly 40 KB. This feature is very 
> handy for the work we do allowing us to send small bits of waterfall 
> captures to the list. There doesn't appear to be any abuse on the RSGB 
> system...I believe the email and picture are automatically disposed of 
> if the total is over the limit.
>
> Would it be possible to the same here? Thanks again for your work 
> keeping this remailer up and running.
>
> Jay W1VD  WD2XNS  WE2XGR/2
>
>