Remote email access

Tue Feb 4 06:07:47 UTC 2003

JC,

Monday, February 3, 2003, 9:43:01 PM, you wrote:
JD> Dave Crocker wrote:
>> Recently I had protracted discussions with a number of Ops folks about
>> this issue and have chosen to drop that debate. I do not agree with
>> blocking port 25, either, but am far more concerned about having a
...
JD> Why does a single solution need to be "broadly supported"?

interoperability. when there are choices for solving the same problem, a
service can make one choice -- or, in this case, each of at least two
different services can make different choices -- and a software vendor
can make yet another another. then there is no interoperability.

that is exactly the problem that I have repeatedly experienced.

JD> IMHO, all
JD> that is needed is for each individual to find a solution that works for
JD> them, given their preferred email client, email host, and provider options.

hmmm.  sounds like I have not described the problem clearly enough.  So
here is the short form:

My email service provider permits me to post new email from anywhere on
the net, as long as I go through proper authentication.  (The details of
how this is done do not matter; the method is reasonable and
sufficient.)

The provider happens to support this posting via port 25.

When I am traveling, my access often is through a provider that kindly
block outbound port 25, so I cannot post email.

Each provider has behaved as you suggest, and the result is that I
cannot post email.

JD> My present solution is to ssh into a server where I have an account,

Once again: I have no doubt that individuals are able to solve their
individual problems, individually, especially when they are technically
savvy.

That approach does not make for a viable, large-scale (as in
mass-market) industry.

d/
-- 
 Dave <mailto:dcrocker at brandenburg.com>
 Brandenburg InternetWorking <http://www.brandenburg.com>
 t +1.408.246.8253; f +1.408.850.1850