pubbox.net - Interesting Free IMAP/SMTP service - Page 8

xmailer · 6 Dec 2006, 06:58 AM

Speaking of Pubbox.net versus Gmail, I've been under the vague impression that I haven't been receiving all of my messages in my Pubbox inbox today.

However, a more careful investigation now seems to suggest that it was Gmail which wasn't autoforwarding all my messages to Pubbox as it was supposed to be doing. So FWIW, at least for today Pubbox seems to have been more reliable that Gmail. But I guess that shouldn't surprise me, based on my experience with Gmail to date.

**ReuvenNY** · 6 Dec 2006, 07:03 AM

Gmail is a great company and service, but is lacking one very important ingredient - IMAP.

Incidentally, does Pubbox.net support IDLE?

war17 · 6 Dec 2006, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReuvenNY
[edit]

Incidentally, does Pubbox.net support IDLE?

With Pop Peeper program that I use, I use IDLE with IMAP whenever I can. Pubbox.net supports IDLE.

Dunebox · 6 Dec 2006, 07:21 AM

Partially OT but relevant I think..

Just found, in the preferences, an option to enter any mailing lists I am subscribed to. I haven't seen this in other webmail solutions before - could anyone that knows what it does when you enter one you are subscribed to, explain for me please?

Many thanks in advance

I think my client, 'The Bat' whilst on Windows, has a similar option but they're so many options in the program it's mind boggling to find it..

EDIT: I somehow mixed up the words 'think' and 'like' in the last paragraph. It's late, forgive me

xmailer · 6 Dec 2006, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReuvenNY
Gmail is a great company and service, but is lacking one very important ingredient - IMAP.

Only one??? If measured solely by the criterion of storage space, then I might agree that it's a "great" service (is there really such a thing?). But in fact, I seriously doubt Gmail would have even made a ripple in the email market if it wasn't for the initial "shock value" of that alone. But in general, my own experience doesn't justify qualifying the service as "great" by any stretch, when basic considerations, such as simple reliability, are taken into account. Of course, YMM(and apparently does)V.

But this wanders a bit off-topic here..

PUBBOX · 6 Dec 2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by xmailer
I've been under the vague impression that I haven't been receiving all of my messages in my Pubbox inbox today.

the only thing PUBBOX MTA rejects during SMTP negotiation are impossible sender domains.
If for example an email is coming around having sender address:

baltazar@womble.nowhere

and "womble.nowhere" has no MX record or even no DNS entry at all, then it'll get bounced.

We see this now and then in the logs for users having their old address redirected here, because the old address MTAs accept such senders.
But who needs mails from impossible domains?
What does any MTA with such a destination?
(answering those questions is subject to everybodies homework)

nbarr · 6 Dec 2006, 10:36 AM

PUBBOX, do you run Pubbox.net by yourself?

You mention Thomas and Martin on your Web Site are they also Pubbox.net staff?

PUBBOX · 6 Dec 2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dunebox
option to enter any mailing lists I am subscribed to.

don't use the webmail. I told you

This option does not effect any incoming or outgoing mail.
It's just the behaviour of the "Reply to List" button, which
changes slightly.

If you look for some sort of mailsorting take a look into the members area. No big deal, but there is some help for users with hundreds of mails per day.

xmailer · 6 Dec 2006, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PUBBOX
the only thing PUBBOX MTA rejects during SMTP negotiation are impossible sender domains.
If for example an email is coming around having sender address:

baltazar@womble.nowhere

and "womble.nowhere" has no MX record or even no DNS entry at all, then it'll get bounced.

We see this now and then in the logs for users having their old address redirected here, because the old address MTAs accept such senders.
But who needs mails from impossible domains?
What does any MTA with such a destination?
(answering those questions is subject to everybodies homework)

I hope I made it clear that I eventually determined that it wasn't a problem at the pubbox.net end after all....although I'm sure you can appreciate that it might be more or less "natural" to feel somewhat apprehensive about a new service -- guilty until proven innocent as it were. After all, that's the premise of your "trusted user" policy as well, right?

But I appreciate your clarification of your "reject" policy, as I imagine other users might as well.

PUBBOX · 6 Dec 2006, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nbarr
... are they also Pubbox.net staff?

No.
Nevertheless they are a great deal in making suggestions and clearing my mind. This sometimes takes hours, e.g. evaluating text CAPTCHAs and proving them to be useless... without their help i would have installed one, hard to read, but easy to break for seriuos attackers.

PUBBOX · 6 Dec 2006, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xmailer
I hope I made it clear that I eventually determined that it wasn't a problem at the pubbox.net end after all

Yes, you made that clear. Got that.

No one gets blamed for sending problem reports.

For all software or systems i use i expect them to be coded in a proactively failsafe manner, not just waiting for the unexpected (then fail

). It is my belief the MTA setup so far fullfills those expectations, e.g. not just losing mails without comment...

Exim (the MTA in charge here) does a good job out of this perspective. Even if unexpected problems arise, like
- some program is missing for local transport
- databases offline
mails get spooled for a later try, not dropped.

Overall design goals are efficiency and robustness.

Processing 100000 mails correctly is not a proof for a correct system. Just a single failure would be a counterproof of that assumption. Doing such proofs on an algebraic level is nearby impossible due to the amount of work, though theoretically possible.

In lack of an algebraic proof one should at least take measures
at a software engineering level, trying to forsee what could happen.

Well, this is what happens here. No guarantees can be made, but i hope to strengthen your belief into our project by giving you some insights.

PUBBOX · 6 Dec 2006, 02:47 PM

sad but true: a lot of people consider this 1G thing at gmail etc. as an important thing. It is not!

Look at our main page. What is written in RED AND BOLD ?

-> Filtering/sorting is a crucial advantage.

Dunebox · 6 Dec 2006, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PUBBOX
don't use the webmail. I told you

This option does not effect any incoming or outgoing mail.
It's just the behaviour of the "Reply to List" button, which
changes slightly.

If you look for some sort of mailsorting take a look into the members area. No big deal, but there is some help for users with hundreds of mails per day.

Thanks for the response, both here and via email

Very much appreciated. The thing is I like the webmail for some strange reason, probably because it loads before I think to click the mouse

David · 9 Dec 2006, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PUBBOX
sad but true: a lot of people consider this 1G thing at gmail etc. as an important thing. It is not!

Look at our main page. What is written in RED AND BOLD ?

-> Filtering/sorting is a crucial advantage.

Understood Pubbox

currently my mail is stopped (for a few weeks) except for a few personal emails. I will appreciate the filtering sorting soon (when I am back in business) - until then I am pleased to say that my account has been upgraded, even though I am only receiving 5 6 7 emails a day (at the moment) which I have been moving to the ham-learn folder.

Thanks Pubbox for a super email account

Berenburger · 10 Dec 2006, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dunebox
The thing is I like the webmail for some strange reason, probably because it loads before I think to click the mouse

Yes, but it is very, very basic.

6 Dec 2006, 06:58 AM	#106
xmailer Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: USA Posts: 5,485	Speaking of Pubbox.net versus Gmail, I've been under the vague impression that I haven't been receiving all of my messages in my Pubbox inbox today. However, a more careful investigation now seems to suggest that it was Gmail which wasn't autoforwarding all my messages to Pubbox as it was supposed to be doing. So FWIW, at least for today Pubbox seems to have been more reliable that Gmail. But I guess that shouldn't surprise me, based on my experience with Gmail to date.

6 Dec 2006, 07:03 AM	#107
ReuvenNY Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: New York Posts: 4,259	Gmail is a great company and service, but is lacking one very important ingredient - IMAP. Incidentally, does Pubbox.net support IDLE?

6 Dec 2006, 07:21 AM	#109
Dunebox Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 13	Partially OT but relevant I think.. Just found, in the preferences, an option to enter any mailing lists I am subscribed to. I haven't seen this in other webmail solutions before - could anyone that knows what it does when you enter one you are subscribed to, explain for me please? Many thanks in advance I think my client, 'The Bat' whilst on Windows, has a similar option but they're so many options in the program it's mind boggling to find it.. EDIT: I somehow mixed up the words 'think' and 'like' in the last paragraph. It's late, forgive me

6 Dec 2006, 10:36 AM	#112
nbarr Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Calgary Posts: 606	PUBBOX, do you run Pubbox.net by yourself? You mention Thomas and Martin on your Web Site are they also Pubbox.net staff?

6 Dec 2006, 02:47 PM	#117
PUBBOX Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 58 Representative of: PubBox.net	sad but true: a lot of people consider this 1G thing at gmail etc. as an important thing. It is not! Look at our main page. What is written in RED AND BOLD ? -> Filtering/sorting is a crucial advantage.