# Data compression question (I think)



## chrispenycate (Feb 9, 2010)

In my soundproofed cave I generate a data file; it might be a video MPEG, or an mp3.
I then E-mail this to my boss, so he can check what's going out, and add a few polite greetings. So far, so good; it's been working like that for years. But now, when he sends the packet on its way it arrives at the other end unreadable; same amount of data in it, but in some way modified. I know that, because he's sent some back to me.

I am assuming that, when the files are bigger than a couple of megs, there is automatic data compression, and that this lossless operation has become less so, but I could be quite wrong, Anyway, text files, and small audio files wiggle their way through unscathed, it is only their overweight brothers who suffer.

Any ideas?


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## The Ace (Feb 10, 2010)

Is he sending Word documents or pdf files ?  Either could cause this problem, either a different version of Office on his computer or lack of a pdf reader (adobe acrobat / Foxit) on yours.

Another possibility is if he's using the version of Word included in Microsoft Works.  This doesn't convert too well with conventional Office.

As a first step, get him to send documents as, 'Plain Text,' that won't hurt the document and may solve the problem.


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## Shadow Trooper (Feb 10, 2010)

Agree with Ace in that when the data is encoded in order to take up less memory, it essentially uses its own version of shorthand to send the message (so to speak).

This is fine as long as the recipient of the message is aware of the particular form of encoding being used so that they can retrieve/translate the message sent.

Essentially the same programme, a word doc sent to a Word programme for example, can have difficulty if the version numbers are different. Although later versions usually tend to have backward compatability (so a new version of word can read an old version, but not the other way around).

Hope that helps.


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## Lenny (Feb 10, 2010)

How much bigger, and what are you using to e-mail them? As far as I can remember, most e-mail services have a limit of 10mb for attachments - I can't see why it'd compress data if it's smaller than 10mb.

Whilst you try to work out the problem, you might want to try a service like Dropbox. I have to admit that I've not used it personally, but I've heard a number of good things about it - the idea is that you share things online and give the person you want to share things to a link of the object. In the case of Dropbox, I think it's cloud storage that you can access anywhere with a username and password (rather than links that anyone can find). The basic service is free and gets you 2gb of storage. If you have a username and password for the company (just the one that everyone can use) then the people who need to use it can all access it.

https://www.dropbox.com

Never underestimate the bandwidth a simple USB pen can offer. There's probably a reason why you're e-mailing rather than sticking it on a USB and giving it to him, but it's another alternative to e-mailing, particularly as you'll come across no data compression unless you activate it manually.


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## chrispenycate (Feb 10, 2010)

Lenny said:


> How much bigger, and what are you using to e-mail them? As far as I can remember, most e-mail services have a limit of 10mb for attachments - I can't see why it'd compress data if it's smaller than 10mb.
> 
> Whilst you try to work out the problem, you might want to try a service like Dropbox. I have to admit that I've not used it personally, but I've heard a number of good things about it - the idea is that you share things online and give the person you want to share things to a link of the object. In the case of Dropbox, I think it's cloud storage that you can access anywhere with a username and password (rather than links that anyone can find). The basic service is free and gets you 2gb of storage. If you have a username and password for the company (just the one that everyone can use) then the people who need to use it can all access it.
> 
> ...



It's a very old Mac program, called "Entourage" (though that may be different in English speaking territories) and has been working adequately for years. I can see no reason why it should develop this attitude now.

This last example was two times three point four megas; and if I wanted to give it to him, I could have put it straight into his computer off the LAN.

And anyway, when it gets to _his_ computer, it's working fine; it's the next people in the chain who can't read it.

The idea is that, if something is in his letter box, he can check it, and send it on its merry way to Zürich, or Lausanne, or just the other side of the lake. If there's something to change, it's easy enough to copy/paste.

It would make me really happy (temporarily) if our website maintainer could make the ftp platform work properly.


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