On this page: Important notes | Other notes | Anticipated questions | How to use | Disclaimer XORmail is a JavaScript program to render text to be sent by e-mail into an illegible mix. Important notes --------------- * This version of XORmail has been tested with the Windows versions of Netscape Navigator 3 and 4 and Internet Explorer 4 and 5. * The program is case sensitive example: Globetrotter and globetrotter are different key words. * The security improves with the key length. The key should be as long as your original text and can be longer. You can copy and paste a longer key text from another page or document. example: You have the text: Let's make something crazy You have the key : Jane The program uses : JaneJaneJaneJaneJaneJaneJane This would be very insecure, nearly as normal text. * There is no warning if you use the wrong key! example: You have the text: wGJYQ"¥{\`|LS[`M¥]P[¥^>IK§ You have the key : at the conference tomorrow You type the key : Jane Result : (curses) * Don't use XORmail to process pictures or programs. That does not work. XORmail supports only a part of the iso-8859-1 (= Latin 1) characterset and does not support all the special characters of some languages. A text or key like åþÐÞðÅ®Æ does not work. * Your and the recipient's e-mail programs and browsers have to support the iso-8859-1 (= Latin 1) characterset and you both need to have a font installed with these characters. If you live in Europe or North America and you use MS Windows chances are good your system meet these requirements. The very common MS TrueType fonts Courier, Arial or Times contain the needed characters. This picture shows independently from your present font display the characters which should work for text and key. Other notes ----------- * On a slow PC the program is quite slow. More than a few words on a slow PC are not a good idea. * If you choose to copy a key text from an internet page because your recipient has also access to that page, you should consider that the internet page can change in the meantime. Also keep in mind that you and your recipient may have different screen sizes and browser default fonts. Your browser's representation of the key text may be different from that seen by your recipient. If the length of the displayed key text lines vary between the two browsers, the line break characters would be at different locations and XORmail wouldn't be able to correctly translate the text back. Often you and your recipient may get around this problem by displaying the source of a page and choosing the key from a part of it. * Send your e-mail as text, not HTML. * The used principle is a xor implementation intended to be backward compatible to Netscape Navigator 3. * Errors are a fact of live. If you find an error or you have a suggestion to improve the program please write an E-mail with XORmail in the subject line. * Program history 19991107 First version: one button processing. 19991124 Online version: two button processing. 20000406 Minor cosmetic change: no effect on previously processed texts. Now there is a warning if the special characters Ë and Ï, used for the end of line translation, appear in the original text. 20000408 Small adaption: no effect on previously processed texts. Originally written for Netscape Navigator 3 and 4, XORmail should now also run on Internet Explorer 4 and 5. Anticipated questions -------------------- Q: Why the name XORmail? It isn't a mail program. A: XORmail was written for the occasional use like someone wants to sent quickly a private e-mail that shouldn't be sent in clear text over the internet and who has not a program like PGP at hand. This person would paste the e-mail text in the form, process it and copy/paste the illegible text back into the e-mail program. Maybe one of the next versions will have a direct e-mail option. Q: Sometimes the illegible text is a little bit longer than the original text? A: At the end of a text line in DOS/Windows are two invisible characters. These are the 'Carriage Return' and 'Line Feed' characters. If your text contains these characters, they mix up into visible characters during processing. So there are no additional characters, you only see characters that have previously been invisible in your original text. Q: After illegible text has been processed back to its original form the additional characters Ë and Ï appear in the text. A: This happens when you have pressed the '-> Xor' button instead of the '-> Text' button to process an illegible text. What you see are the XORmail replacements for the 'Carriage Return' and 'Line Feed' characters. There were line breaks at these positions in the original text. In case you press at first the '-> Text' button to make a text illegible, you might not be able to correctly transform it back. How to use ---------- XORmail works only if you enable JavaScript in your browser's options menu. * You want to send a private text: Start your browser and open the XORmail page. Start your e-mail program, write your message as a plain TEXT e-mail, not as a HTML e-mail. Mark your text and cut it. Paste it into the XORmail window. Choose a key. The key should be a long sentence or even better a longer text that you copy from another page or document. The key can be larger than the displayed key fields. A secure key is at least as long as the main text. For higher security, you can put together a meaningless key text from the supported character set and use every key text only once. The recipient of your e-mail needs the same key to read your text. You can use the lower part of the screen to display a document or page to select and copy a longer text as a key. Keep in mind the document location and the start and end position of your key text within the document. Type or paste your key text into the first key line. Type or paste the same key into the second key line. Press the '-> Xor' button. Wait. Mark and copy the new illegible text. Paste the illegible text into your e-mail program. Optional step: You may want to enter the key again and press the '-> Text' button to make sure the backward translation does work with your key without an error. Press the 'Erase' button on the XORmail page. Send your e-mail as a TEXT e-mail, not as a HTML e-mail. * You receive a private text: Start your browser and open the XORmail page. Open your e-mail message as TEXT, not HTML. In your e-mail program mark and cut the illegible text. Paste the text into the XORmail window. Type or paste the correct key into the first key line. Type or paste the same key into the second key line. Press the '-> Text' button. Wait. Read the now legible text. You may want to cut and paste the text into another application. Press the 'Erase' button on the XORmail page. Disclaimer ---------- This program is not intended for critical work. We exclude any liability for the use and the consequences of use of the XORmail program. This includes, but is not limited to, the loss of data or exposure of confidential information and resulting personal and financial damages. When you use XORmail you do it at your own risk. The online availability or accessibility of XORmail may be restricted or terminated at any time without prior notice. XORmail copyright 1999 by Austria Information Switchboard. All rights reserved.