A
users sending an e-card to a person would select a pre-written
card style with image and message, and would add their own
personal message, and specify the recipient's email address.
On sending the card, the recipient would receive an email
with a link to the e-card provider's webpage, and this link
would go to the e-card as a webpage, with the sender's personal
message and card. Note that the actual card is not usually
sent through the email, but only a link to the card hosted
as a website.
There are five common types of visual E-Cards.
"Flash Animated" which use Macromedia's "Flash"
software, "Postcards" which use static (non-moving)
images, "Animated" cards which are similar to Postcards
yet may have some minor repetative movement, JavaScript cards
which typically combine Postcard images with some kind of
JavaScript-based animation, and most recently Talking greeting
cards.
Flash Animated cards are typically the most
advanced and popular cards. Flash Animated cards are typically
used to create a full animated effect, similar to an animated
cartoon. They can also be interactive, asking the viewer to
perform an action or press a button.
Postcards are the oldest form of E-Cards
and are still popular. They typically show more artistic or
nature images such as animals, mountains, sunsets, people,
or other scenic scenes.
Originally, most E-Cards were free. While
free greeting card sites are still the most prevalent and
popular, most of the largest e-card sites on the web have
begun charging for premium services and has slowly become
a more accepted practice.
Security
Since the e-card company knows the email-address of the recipient
and often also the sender, and whether the recipient reads
the card, spammers sometimes use E-Cards for finding active
email-addresses.
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