Managing locally initiated electronic mail attached documents

1. A method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

a processor of a computer system receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor ascertaining whether or not the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location;

after said ascertaining that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message, followed by said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location.

2. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

3. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

said processor inquiring whether a recipient of the electronic mail message wants to modify the attached document;

after said inquiring, said processor determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document,

wherein said deleting comprises deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message in response to both said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location and said determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document.

4. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

5. The method of claim 4 , said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 5 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.

7. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

said processor generating a modified copy of the attached document that is attached to the electronic mail message;

said processor storing the modified copy;

after said generating the modified copy and said storing the modified copy, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said generating the modified copy; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said storing the modified copy, said processor adding to the stored modified copy a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device having a computer readable program instructions stored therein, said program instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

said processor receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor ascertaining whether or not the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location;

after said ascertaining that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message, followed by said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , said method further comprising:

said processor inquiring whether a recipient of the electronic mail message wants to modify the attached document;

after said inquiring, said processor determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document,

wherein said deleting comprises deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message in response to both said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location and said determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , said method further comprising:

said processor generating a modified copy of the attached document that is attached to the electronic mail message;

said processor storing the modified copy;

after said generating the modified copy and said storing the modified copy, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said generating the modified copy; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said storing the modified copy, said processor adding to the stored modified copy a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

15. A computer system comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer readable storage device, said storage device containing program instructions configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for managing documents attached to electronic mail messages, said method comprising:

said processor receiving an electronic mail message at a destination location;

said processor determining that a document is attached to the received electronic mail message;

said processor ascertaining whether or not the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, wherein said ascertaining ascertains that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location;

after said ascertaining that the attached document was originated at the destination location and is stored at the destination location, said processor deleting the document from the received electronic mail message, followed by said processor creating in the received electronic mail message a link for connecting to the document stored at the destination location.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message; and

after said updating the electronic mail message to reflect said deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message, said processor adding to the attached document stored at the destination location a header or footer that comprises a link to the electronic mail message.

17. The computer system of claim 15 , said method further comprising:

said processor inquiring whether a recipient of the electronic mail message wants to modify the attached document;

after said inquiring, said processor determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document,

wherein said deleting comprises deleting the attached document from the received electronic mail message in response to both said determining that the attached document is stored at the destination location and said determining that the recipient does not want to modify the attached document.

18. The computer system of claim 15 , said method further comprising:

said processor receiving, from a user at the destination location, a selection of the document stored at the destination location;

said processor creating the electronic mail message, said creating the electronic mail message comprising attaching the selected document to the electronic mail message; and

prior to said receiving the electronic mail message, said processor transmitting the electronic mail message to a plurality of recipients, wherein the user at the destination location is one recipient of the plurality of recipients, and wherein said receiving the electronic mail message at the destination location is in response to the user being one recipient of the plurality of recipients.

19. The computer system of claim 18 , said method further comprising:

after said transmitting the electronic mail message, said processor determining that the user desires to save a copy of the transmitted electronic mail message;

in response to said determining that the user desires to save the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message.

20. The computer system of claim 19 , said method further comprising:

after said deleting the document from the copy of the transmitted electronic mail message, said processor (i) updating metadata for the document to indicate that the document has been deleted from the copy of the electronic mail message and (ii) creating in the copy of the electronic mail message a link configured to connect to the document stored at the destination location.