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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Any ideas - tags added to an email reply.

Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 3 November 2004
Situation.

* We sent a personal email
* The reply quoted the original
* but the quoted original has been modified to add links on words such as Christmas.

Example:

Code:
see you at <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=christmas&v=56">christmas</a>.


How did this happen?  What the ****? Any thoughts / ideas anyone - inputs would be most appreciated

Also note:

* Both the sender and recipient email accounts are on our own mail server and use email addresses in our own domain. No forwarding.
* The recipient is NOT a geek and wouldn't know how to add tags in.
* It looks to me as if the email was answered using our own webmail service ... which, however, is clean as far as I know and does NOT do the same thing when I email myself and answer myself about Christmas.

Posted by Custard (Custard), 3 November 2004
Have you checked the headers to see whose mail servers it might have gone through in between?

Perhaps your recipient is using a 'free' email account which makes its money from advertising?

Mail rewriting through something like sendmail wouldn't be difficult.

Just a thought..

(don't post the headers, to protect the innocent!

B

PS. Just noticed you said the recipient uses your mail server?  But do you post SMTP outbound, then receive it back?  Only the headers will tell you the route (as far as you can trust them)..

Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 3 November 2004
The recipient logs into our site and uses our mail server - it's webmail so there's no SMTP transfers at all which is why it's baffling.

I wondered about a "virus" in the user's browser adding tags into text fields sent, or an "advertising browser" supplied by his ISP that does it.

Once you've eliminated the probable, you have to look at the improbable and I can't see any probables!!

Posted by John_Moylan (jfp), 3 November 2004
Where are you seeing this?
Are you looking at your mail via webmail?.

Just wondering if its getting re-written when it hits a browser.

Have you tried looking at your email sitting in its inbox on the server using pine or even vi.

jfp

you posted while I was typeing, so its webmail then.

Have a read of this:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/adware.ntsearch.html

Posted by John_Moylan (jfp), 3 November 2004
Oh, and it seems adaware can remove it.

Posted by admin (Graham Ellis), 3 November 2004
Ah - thanks folks.  My mind is at rest knowing what the problem is / how it's occurring, and we can advise our user as appropriate  

Posted by Custard (Custard), 3 November 2004
Explains why the 'OS X'ers don't see it then!



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