Weird email subject line from SolidWorks Corp

?UTF-8?B?RnJlZSBPbmxpbmUgU2VtaW5hcnMgZnJvbSBTb2xpZFdvcmtzIA==?=

That's the Subject line of the email that just arrived from SolidWorks
Corp touting some Webcasts later this summer. I've been noticing for a
while that messages from them contain weird characters in the body and I
asked them to look in on it. I suspect they're using some weird email
composition software that puts some kind of non-standard character
encoding in their messages. Anyone else having this kind of experience?

'Sporky'

 

I got a *.scr in zip format from them yesterday so whatever virus is
going around may have gotten to their server as well?

...

 

: ?UTF-8?B?RnJlZSBPbmxpbmUgU2VtaW5hcnMgZnJvbSBTb2xpZFdvcmtzIA==?=
:
: That's the Subject line of the email that just arrived from SolidWorks
: Corp touting some Webcasts later this summer. I've been noticing for a
: while that messages from them contain weird characters in the body and I
: asked them to look in on it.

If you're using OE, go to View, Encoding and try setting it to UTF-8. If you don't
see it, go to More.

David Janes

 

I wouldn't use Outlook or OE on a bet.
I use Eudora Pro, a much better email client, and I have zero problems
with it from other sources besides SolidWorks.

 

: David Janes wrote:
: > If you're using OE, go to View, Encoding and try setting it to UTF-8. If you
don't
: > see it, go to More.
: >
: > David Janes
:
: I wouldn't use Outlook or OE on a bet.
Yes, of course, I apologize. No offense intended.

: I use Eudora Pro, a much better email client, and I have zero problems
Sure, absolutely, much better. But does it support UTF-8, does it recognize it
automatically or can you set it manually to that encoding? That was my only point.
Sorry I got you *off* the point with reference to the vile, despicable and shunned
OE.

David Janes

 

<GRIN> Didn't mean to pull your string, David. I do object to a lot
that Micro$oft does, and the design of OE and Outlook happens to be a
portion of my objections. But of course that's beside the point. I
don't know whether UTF-8 is supported and the options don't seem to
include it. It does de-encode everything else I receive from all other
sources without problem, including HTML content.

Thanks,
'Sporky'

 

: David Janes wrote:
: >
: > "Sporkman" wrote in message
: > : I wouldn't use Outlook or OE on a bet.
: > Yes, of course, I apologize. No offense intended.
: >
: > : I use Eudora Pro, a much better email client, and I have zero problems
: > Sure, absolutely, much better. But does it support UTF-8, does it recognize it
: > automatically or can you set it manually to that encoding? That was my only
point.
: > Sorry I got you *off* the point with reference to the vile, despicable and
shunned
: > OE.
: >
: > David Janes
:
: <GRIN> Didn't mean to pull your string, David. I do object to a lot
: that Micro$oft does, and the design of OE and Outlook happens to be a
: portion of my objections. But of course that's beside the point. I
: don't know whether UTF-8 is supported and the options don't seem to
: include it. It does de-encode everything else I receive from all other
: sources without problem, including HTML content.
:
Hey, no problem. I was mostly curious about Eudora, which I've has been aound
forever but I've never heard more than chest beating about. (Maybe there's a
'Consumer Reports' for software, this vs. that, you know, some actual evaluation
instead of the usual pissing contest.) Anyway, if you're having the problem and
others are not, could be the email client. That was all I was suggesting.

 

Some virus or worm or whatever will install itself on a machine and send
"corrupted" e-mails using the host's adress book both for _sender's name_
and destination.

Of course you know that an *.scr is nothing else than an *.exe.

JM

 

Turns out, according to SolidWorks Corp marketing people, the email
marketing software they use (Siebel) has a problem with Eudora. They've
put in a service request for Siebel to fix it.

'Sporky'

 

Gee, Siebel has a problem with following standards? They probably do it to
pre-qualify customers since if you don't have Outlook you may not be able
to run all of SW like Excel.

I have used Eudora for years. It is much more powerful and simple to use.
Qualcomm does a good job of supporting it, there are a number of addins
available and it saves me a lot of work sorting emails. It is more amenable
to user customization.

Outlook on the other hand is a virus magnet.

 

Exactly my experience and exactly why I use it rather than Outlook and
OE. In addition I like it simply because it doesn't belong to
Micro$oft, and I figure is that much less likely to be a security risk
(outside of virii).

'Sporky'