Re: Base64 encoding?

On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:37:11 GMT, ned commented

Now what's all that about?
I received an unsolicited e-mail t'other day and, as is my wont, did a
rt click, properties, detail, message source,
on it.
Up came a great block of base64 encoded AlphaNumeric characters.
'Found a site that would decode it all
and it turned out to be HTML for a website offering me a website
'ranking' service - for FREE!
Unasked for FREE services I can do without.
But, what are the pros and cons of Base64 encoding?


For text (including HTML) there are no pros (except that the recipient
can't read it in a simple text viewer), but it is useful for encoding
non-text (so-called binary) files, since email, like nntp, is 7-bit
ascii.

The major con is that every 3 bytes in the original take 4 bytes when
encoded.

Is it just a dodge to hide what is on offer, hoping you will open it
just out of curiosity?

It may be a dodge, or it may just be lazy coding of the sending email
client - encode everything in Base64 whether it needs it or not.

--
Ali
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/my.web.pages/ Don't go there.
UPS/FUNTO Feb stats: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/my.web.pages/stats/
Nearly six years' statistics now available.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: rexml difficulties
    ... I give base64 encode a try. ... extract JPG images and store them as Base-64 encoded elements in an XML ... Would your process include using Base64? ...
    (comp.lang.ruby)
  • Re: What solaris apps convert text to/from base 64?
    ... :> It looks to me as if dtmail attachments are encoded in base64. ... :> to encode files into base 64? ... subsequent email readers, which are expecting base64. ...
    (comp.unix.solaris)
  • Re: size using Base64 Content-Transfer-Encoding
    ... > Sorry let me clarify my question, I mean that I encode certain data ... Base64 is the sister of UUencode. ... Lay down your binary file in binary code, ... Foreach packet, replace the packet by the Character at ...
    (sci.crypt)
  • Re: Encrypted email - is there a specific solution?
    ... assign the byte array to the mailmsg body please? ... >, then you can encrypt ... > the data and either send it to yourself as an attachment or base64 encode it ...
    (microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.aspnet)
  • Re: sample for base64 encoding in c language
    ... looking for ("sample for base64 encoding in C language"), ... ** MIME Base64 coding examples ... As the WSO2 is an open source company our project is also an open ... about ten built in algorithms which is to used at the fast infoset. ...
    (comp.lang.c)