Outlook Express

Outlook Express was an email and network news client produced by Microsoft for its Windows platforms and also with versions for other platforms. Outlook Express was distributed at no additional cost along with Microsoft Internet Explorer, and was thus part of the latest operating systems in the Windows XP and Windows NT families.

It was a program derived from Microsoft Outlook (which is part of Office), but specialized in email and network news, so it did not include groupware features. Instead it allowed better handling of some features common in email groups and network news, such as text handling.

Since September 1, 2009, it ceased to be operational and was replaced by the Windows Mail client (included in Windows Vista) which in turn was replaced by Windows Live Mail (part of the Windows Live Essentials download package).

Multimedia

Outlook Express was configured, by default, to send messages in plain text; but, as in Outlook, the configuration could be modified to include active content based on DHTML and ActiveX; for example, images, music, small and long operating system manipulations, programs in script languages, etc. In addition, these controls could be used to execute native Windows code (executable programs), or simply used as an agenda.

Features

Storage

Although it had the ability to export messages in.eml format (text in MIME format), these were stored in a database with the.dbx extension which only allowed up to a maximum of 2 gigabytes per file. It also presented corruption problems in said database to such an extent that a group of people developed an open source code program to correct this problem.

Safety Features

These multimedia capabilities, added to the preview feature, allowed the proliferation of worm-type computer viruses that were spread through this program simply by modifying its default form of functioning. To avoid these problems, it was recommended to use it only in text mode, or use alternative MUA's.

Thus, it was always advisable to configure the program to prevent the display of active content, especially the use of ActiveX in messages, which are particularly dangerous. This could be done by disabling the preview panel and configuring Internet Explorer so that Outlook Express warns the user of the presence of ActiveX and prompts the user to decide whether or not to allow it to run. This allowed the user to authorize its execution only when it was really necessary, and this only when the creator of the message was trusted.

Animations with Outlook Express

The Outlook Express email program was capable of displaying content encoded in dynamic HTML language or DHTML. This meant that, like web pages, messages prepared and sent using said program could be animated using image and sound. To achieve this, it was necessary to enable access to the source code in the Outlook Express program, making it possible to modify the HTML code of the messages and insert:

• SVG
• VML, Flash
• DHTML: which is based on a combination of CSS and HTML by scripts programmed in JavaScript and VBScript languages.

These animations became an object of exchange between fans of their creation, use and learning, whether as entertainment or as a mode of artistic expression. Thus, and particularly with regard to the animations that were possible to make in DHTML, in frequent cases the authors of scripts, adapted to Outlook Express - which is the program that owns the formats it uses, for email messages and -, they disseminated them disinterestedly in Usenet newsgroups and email. These groups, which constitute true forums for the exchange of this pastime, often fall under the concept of digital art.

Risks and drawbacks

• Some animations use ActiveX, which can also be used to enter malicious code into emails. Since these animations are used by the Internet Explorer engine, it is necessary to configure this so that it meets two essential conditions:

• In the Outlook Express an ActiveX notice must appear where the user is asked if it allows its execution on the screen.
• ActiveX download must be prevented to the hard drive.

As this configuration affected the entire team, additional computer security programs were required: firewalls, anti-spyruses and telnet programs that allow you to inspect the mail when it is still on the server.

• To view and make these animated messages, only Outlook Express is valid, as they make use of Microsoft's own extensions, some of which are not compatible with other manufacturers. The defining entities of web standards have defined this policy as adopting, extending and extinguishing—in English, embrace, extend and extinguish— because it forces manufacturers and users to use Microsoft technology. Therefore, script programmers always try to adapt to W3C standards.

History

These animations begin with the appearance of version 4.0 of Outlook Express in 1997, which were developed both in Microsoft newsgroups and on private and free servers.

In March 1998, a stable group was organized in English: WET. Shortly after, another group was organized in French: CCG (you need Microsoft Internet Explorer for these animations).

Due to the proliferation of the Swen virus, in April 2004 Microsoft opened a group only for animations, protected by a public password. This measure has been adopted by other private servers, as it also prevented the entry of spammers and robots.

Given the characteristics of these electronic messages, it was necessary to adapt the netiquettes published by Usenet. Although there is no written record, these are some of the agreed upon rules:

• absolute gratuity in materials and teaching.
• obligation to keep authors names, both in animations and in tutorials.
• obligation to include 'adult' in the Subject line, where images are not suitable for minors.

Version 6.0 of Outlook Express provided, among other new features, the use of popups to open in full screen.

Extensions

Outlook Express did not have an interface to work with the graphical interface like Outlook does. Only the IStoreNamespace and IStoreFolder interfaces were documented in 2003, but they were only related to your database. Some companies developed solutions by intercepting operating system functions. The best known was the PGP extension, because it was the only example whose source code was available (with GPL license). In 2003 some companies developed commercial solutions, the best known were GSD Outlook Express Toolbar Kit and OE API.

Competition

These types of applications are used by a small number of users, since a web environment such as Gmail or Hotmail, for example, allows global access without having to configure the application on different machines to access emails. Even similar applications such as Thunderbird, Windows Live Mail and Evolution, although little used, have the advantage that the user can save their history on their own machine to be able to change their email provider whenever they want (or as a simple backup copy before the deletion or failure of operation of webmail providers). Users with intermittent Internet connection or who live in remote areas can travel until they are online and download and send email messages and read them upon their return or offline.