There is an easy and affordable solution to both instances above and it involves avoiding the use of e-mail attachments all together. Whalemail is a US $7.95/mo service (as of this writing) that allows you to deliver any number of files of any size (up to 100MB) to anyone who has access to the Web.

This is the way it works. Once you create an account and log into Whalemail, you are given 100MB of temporary file storage space on their server. You simply upload the files you want to send via your Web browser (by just clicking a couple of buttons) and then have Whalemail send a simple text message to your recipients that includes a link to where they can download those files via their Web browser. This simple process completely circumvents all the file delivery issues associated with e-mail attachments. Also, recipients don't have to have a Whalemail account or log in to receive the files which makes it very convenient for them.

While getting the file there is one thing, making sure it is readable by your recipient is another issue all together...

Opening A Can Of Worms

If you use e-mail to send attached files, your recipient may not be able to view them for one of the following reasons:

The first issue above is easily handled by Whalemail since it does not change the file in any way when uploading or downloading via the Web. The second one can be handled by creating a PDF version of the file using Adobe Acrobat. PDF (Portable Document Format) files are universally viewable files which most people can view with the free Adobe Acrobat reader.

The only fly in this ointment is that the Acrobat software necessary to create PDF files can be pricey (several hundred US dollars). A much less expensive alternative is PDFMailer (currently about US $49) which does a good job of creating PDF files quickly and easily -- though it does not have the extensive extra features that the more expensive Adobe Acrobat software offers.

The least expensive option (i.e. free) for creating universally viewable files is one of my all time favorites: eFax Messenger Plus. Like Acrobat, it creates universally viewable files that are typically much smaller than the original. However, it requires the recipient to download and install (just one time) the free eFax viewer to read these files --something that most clients and prospects are not likely to do. This leaves the PDF option as the surest way to go.

However, just because you create files that are universally viewable, it doesn't mean they will arrive that way. Remember, many e-mail systems will scramble your attached files, even PDFs if they use a different encoding scheme than you. In that instance you would again use Whalemail to send your PDF or eFax files so they retain their integrity.

The ability to almost instantly send any kind of file directly to any person on the planet with an Internet connection is easily one of the most powerful benefits of using the Net. Being aware of the limitations and how to get around them not only makes your life easier, it will impress your clients and prospects too --and that is another kind of power we could all use more of!