Re: AOL Images

In a message dated 98-04-15 02:54:16 EDT, webmaster(at)webdesignsrus.com writes:

<< Michelle Brown wrote:
 > 
 > How does one go about coverting a AOL *.ART Image File?
 > I don't use AOL but a client wants an image that they only have in *.art
 > format, is there a utility to convert that type of file?
 
 I am not so sure, but WHY in the world would anyone want to convert all
 images into .art when it is only supported by AOL... Anyways, if you
 open a .gif or .jpg format image with AOL, bu using their software and a
 regular routine such as, FILE | OPEN and so on, and you SAVE IT AS .ART,
 is one way to do it.. >>

I am usually just lurking here, learning from the rest of you but this time I
feel like I have something worth sharing with this group.  Even though I've
moved my site to another server I still like to keep an account on AOL so that
I know what the other 11 million people on AOL are up to  : )

This problem started from an effort by AOL to speed web transfers, conserve
bandwidth, and provide better service to its customer base. The majority of
AOL users are probably not affected by it.  However, web page development on
AOL is complicated by this issue, and all authors should be made aware of it. 

In the AOL browser, there is an option to use "compressed" graphics. ��What
this basically means is before the image is received by your web browser, AOL
tries to compact it and make it smaller. The space savings is approximately
15% on the average, which is not significant to a single web user, but is very
significant as a portion of AOL's combined network bandwidth. 

When you save an image from the web, if you are using AOL's compressed
graphics, that saved image is not actually the image you requested but the
recompressed image you received. The distinction here is that you are saving
the file with a name that indicates it is in GIF or JPEG format, but it is
actually in a special AOL format. As a result, you will be unable to load it.
�You might check the properties and it reads as a .gif or .jpeg format, but
will not show up. �You're not nuts....its compressed. �Basically AOL converted
the .gif or .jpeg file to an .art format without your knowing it. 

Since the file has been converted to .ART format (even if it doesn't say
.art), only the AOL web browser is able to view it. All other web browsers
will be unable to interpret the file, and will display it as a broken image. �

THE FIX FOR AOL USERS: �The remedy for this situation is to go into the
Preferences of the AOL web browser, and turn off the "Use Compressed Graphics"
option. After doing this, you must clear or "Purge" your web browser's cache,
which is located under the "Advanced" options, and reload the current web
page. After this, you will receive all images in the proper format (true gif
or jpeg) and maintain compatibility with other browsers. After you do this,
you must find good copies of all the pictures you've got on your page and
upload them all again ! I know it's time consuming, but if you want ALL your
visitors to see your hard work, you HAVE to do this. 

Even if you don't have a web page and you are an AOL user, you should turn off
compressed images. The difference between compressed and uncompressed is so
slight to the surfer, that it's not worth using compressed graphics. 

 �Bottom line is this...if you have any graphics that are .art format on your
page, no one but AOL users using the AOL browser can see them!! �If you have
your graphics in your preferences set to compressed, no one but AOL users
using the AOL browser can see them!!   Change your setting!!!

I have modified this some to take less reading time.  The complete text can be
found at http://members.aol.com/hotsite1/contest/webhelp.html

Hope this helps!

Carla
http://members.home.net/carlanelson1/
Confusion is just a state of mind...I don't avoid it...I create it!!!

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