Hotmail-- Again??

Wed Apr 13 14:22:18 UTC 2005

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 07:18:41 +0530
  Suresh Ramasubramanian <ops.lists at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> On 4/12/05, Matthew Black <black at csulb.edu> wrote:
>>     2. After given a numeric SMTP error response code between 500 and 599
>>        (also known as a "permanent non-delivery response"), the sender 
>>must
>>        not attempt to retransmit that message to that recipient.
>> 
>> Microsoft Outlook doesn't follow this rule. Outlook perpetually retries
>> sending messages which encounter an SMTP permanent error between
>> 500 and 599. How interesting that their on-line e-mail service has
>> rules that prevent use of the parent company's own products.  <8-)
> 
> Outlook is not an MTA and it is not going to connect to MSN/Hotmail's
> servers to deliver mail.
> 
> And Hotmail is run by a rather different group of people than those
> that code Outlook.

You missed the point of my message. I am fully aware that Outlook
is an MUA and Hotmail does not let their free customers use MUAs.
Paid Hotmail customers are permitted to use their own MUA.

The point of my original post is that Microsoft owns an on-line
e-mail portal that follows RFC-[2]821 (or is it [2]822) by requiring
connecting systems to obey the 5xx response codes as permanent
failures and never attempt redelivery of the errant message.
Microsoft Outlook and Exchange do NOT understand that 5xx error codes
are permanent and will attempt redelivery, indefintely in the case of
Outlook.

matthew black
california state university, long beach