The Disadvantages of Email Attachments
Users are extremely savvy about emailing, email etiquette and email software programs. Warning recipients of large file attachments by indicating that the file is large, stating the estimated time to load or the file size are all good ways to alert those on the receiving end. Becoming aware of the disadvantages of sending email attachments in general will help you to make better decisions and take proper precautions when doing so.
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Large Files
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Large file sizes that have to be transmitted across many computers over the Internet can be slow, depending on the transmission speed of the sending computer. For instance, T1 and DSL connections are generally much faster than modem connections. Furthermore, the recipients also need to have faster Internet connections to download the email file attachments. Emails that contain multiple files could cause a bottleneck on the sending or receiving end if the computers involved are on networks with multiple users sharing bandwidth or transmission speed across the Internet.
Additional Steps
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File attachments require more work to send and receive. Instead of just typing out an email message and pressing the "Send" button in your email software, you have to find the files on your computer, upload them to your email provider's server and then transmit them with the email message. Similarly, on the receiving end, users have to download the files to their computer to see them, as most files don't appear in the email window. The one exception to this is photo files, which can be copied and pasted directly into most email windows.
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Appropriate Software
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Recipients need the right corresponding software to open file attachments received through emails. For instance, recipients should have a PDF reader for PDF files, as well as graphics or photo viewing programs for graphics and picture files. Recipients should also have office productivity software for word processing, spreadsheet and database files sent via email. To prevent problems in opening files, email senders should make sure that recipients have the appropriate software to open and use the file attachments they receive.
Viruses
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Viruses are detrimental programs that attach themselves to files on a computer. They are easily spread in files that then get attached to emails. Sending email attachments of files from an infected computer can spread the infection to a recipient's computer. Recipients should have a virus software program with current virus definitions to scan incoming file attachments from emails. Infected file attachments should be scanned and fixed by the virus program before saving them on the computer.
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