[ale] g-mail blocks tar.gz attachments, but not .zip...

[aaron]

I have found g-mail accounts to be a handy service for sharing, xferring and 
storing files in a web accessable space. The only caveat I've encountered is 
that google disallows certain file types as attachments on both incoming or 
outgoing g-mail.

I fully understand why they would want to protect the Micro$hafted maroons of 
the world from their own ignorance by blocking ".exe" attachments.  What I 
don't understand why they also choose to block ".tar.gz"  files, and yet 
allow ".zip" attachments without question.

Googl's reply to my query of this policy (exchange below) did nothing but 
re-state the obvious by notifying me that they block ".exe" and ".tar.gz" 
attachments.  (Yes. I already know that. My question was WHY do you block 
".tar.gz"?)

I've found workarounds and can easily attach any file to my g-mails, but  
I'm wondering if anyone here can enlighten me with a good reason for googl's 
".tar.gz" policy.  I thought tar and gz were passive archiving formats.

peace
aaron


=========================================
From: "Gmail Team" <gmail-support at google.com>
To: ale at ale.org
To: arxaaron at gmail.com

Hello,
Thank you for your message.

As a security measure to prevent the spread of potential viruses, Gmail
users can't send or receive tar.gz files (ending in '.tar.gz') or
executable files. Please note that a file can be executable even if it
does not have '.exe' as an extension.

Gmail does not accept tar.gz or executable files, even if they are sent in
a zipped format. If someone tries to send this type of message to your
Gmail account, the message will be bounced back to the sender.

Sincerely,
The Gmail Team

------------------------
Original Message Follows:

From: arxaaron at gmail.com
To: ale at ale.org
Subject: zip vs tar.gz
  [snip]

Why do you reject tar.gz archives? If there's a reason, why doesn't it
apply equally to .zip archives?

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