Take Control of your eMail Communications

By Mike Barnett, Broker CRS, e-PRO, GRI
VP, Technology--InternetCrusade®

As we become more dependent and more comfortable using eMail for communications, both in our business and with our friends, and as we explore the different ways to utilize the power of eMail, we quickly learn about the pros, cons and limitations of our current applications and the methods we use to retrieve and send messages.

The "eMail manager" that we use (Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape, etc) includes different methods ("protocols") that allow our computer ("the client") to communicate with our eMail provider ("the server") to retrieve and send eMail.

The most popular protocol used to retrieve messages is known as POP (Post Office Protocol). The protocol used to send messages is known as SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol).

When we properly set up the retrieving and sending functions in our eMail manager, we are on our way to retrieving and sending mail with the "server".

Using POP

POP is a fairly easy-to-use method (it's easy when you know how ;-)

The primary function of POP is to allow the transfer of messages from a "mailbox" on the "server" at the mail provider -- (ISP, Internet Service Provider, or other mail host like InternetCrusade) -- to an eMail "client" on the individual computer(s) or other device(s).

The mail provider usually issues a username and password to access the mailbox, and anyone with both, (username and password), can access the mailbox and the messages and then download the messages to their computers using their eMail manager.

Some mail providers also give us a web interface (sometimes called webmail or Imail), to access our mailbox and messages without downloading them to our computer. This feature allows us access to our mailbox and messages from any computer. This web interface enables us to manage our eMail on-line with features like review, reply, and create new messages. Having web access from any computer, anywhere, is a very useful feature.

As technology evolved and computer users began using multiple devices (computers at home and office, handhelds, etc.), eMail users wanted the ability to have the same messages on two (or more) of their different devices.

Leave A Copy On The Server

As a result, an early "client" feature that became helpful with the POP protocol was a setting -- "leave a copy of the message on the server". This feature has its own inherent limitations and nuances. In fact, some eMail users think this feature needs a course of instruction just to discuss the various options (and possible consequences) when determining which computer is the "master computer" and what happens when the "master computer" retrieves the messages. Note that once the master computer retrieves messages, those messages are no longer available for viewing by the other computers.

One of the solutions is to leave a copy of the eMail on the server regardless of which device (computer) retrieves the eMail. It is important to know the size limitation of our mailbox, especially if this solution is used. Exceeding the size of the mailbox can result in a complete halt to our communications.

Today, with the increasing size of individual messages (sometimes due to attachments such as images generated from mega-pixel cameras, presentations and media applications), the limitation on the size of our mailbox, and the procedures put in place by our mail provider when that limitation is exceeded, the following questions are important:

-- What happens to an arriving message (maybe with an attachment) that can't fit in the remaining storage space available in our mailbox?
-- What method (if any) does the mail provider use to notify the sender of the original message (or us, the owner of the mailbox) of any problem, such as not enough space in the mailbox to accept the message?
-- Also, what are the notification rules in place?
-- Is the message and the attachment returned to sender, or is the sender notified in any way that the message can't be retrieved?
-- Most importantly, are we (the recipient) being notified about the problem?

A couple of the other nuances of POP accounts:

-- What happens when we are in the middle of downloading our eMail and the Internet connection is interrupted or dropped? Usually, the next time we try to retrieve our eMail, we get all the eMail again.
-- Why do we occasionally get repeat messages? This situation can occur when a message gets 'stuck' in your mailbox. It is also sometimes caused by improperly setting up a filter or rule

Both of these problems reinforce the idea that having a web interface, like webmail or Imail, to access our mailbox is really beneficial. We are able to utilize our web interface --- rather than having to contact our mail host to delete the repetitive or stuck message(s).

Exploring New Solutions

As I examine the different solutions available for us to take control of eMail, one solution that keeps surfacing is changing our focus of control from the "client" to the "server". By changing the controlling location where the features and rules are placed, we are able to take control of the eMail message at the "root" (server) level.

While that might sound technical to some, let me give you a simple example. When I was growing up, the postman delivered snail mail to the mailbox at my house. Mom or Dad retrieved the mail from the mailbox and then began to sort the mail:

-- unsolicited mail in one stack (maybe right into the trash ;-)
-- mail to an old addressee back in the mailbox so the postman can take it back to the post office for rerouting
-- magazines in another stack (maybe some of them right into the trash as well)
-- bills in another stack (maybe some of them right into the trash as well ;-)
-- mail that was meant for me was given to me by Mom or Dad

While reviewing this process, we might think the "filtering" was done at the "root level" (my parents), but actually wasn't. The "root level" was the US Post Office itself. The "client mail application" was my parents. My parents created the rules that filtered the mail into the different stacks, including my stack.

Now shift the focus to allow the "rules" to be set up at the Post Office itself.

We can direct the Postmaster to:
-- not deliver any mail with sexually explicit material, or deliver it elsewhere
-- not deliver any mail from a particular source, or deliver it elsewhere
-- not deliver any mail with specific word(s) in it, or deliver it elsewhere

Result -- if we control the flow of messages at the root level, we can dictate what eMail will be delivered to our mailbox in the first instance, allowing for less mail for Mom and Dad (the client) to handle.

Of course, all our local "client" rules would still apply to eMail that does arrive (sorting into folders), so we don't lose any "client" control, at all. And, most importantly, much less mail arrives, since the unsolicited mail is trashed at the Post Office.

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

For several months, I have been exploring and experimenting with an older technology, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), and its application to the real estate business

As I stated earlier, many mobile professionals have multiple devices (laptops, desktops, handheld, computer at home, computer at the office) and if we don't, we probably have assistants or partners who have their own device(s). This creates the need to have eMail communications "in sync at all times" with other members of our team. IMAP technology allows all our communications to be in sync on all our devices (staff, assistants, etc) instantly.

IMAP gives us control of our communications at the server level. If you are wondering why IMAP protocol isn't used more frequently, it is exactly for that reason ("server level control"). While most ISPs have the ability to support IMAP, they didn't want to support storage of our mail. In fact, many ISPs (like AOL and Hotmail) have time limitations on stored eMail and delete mail after 30 days.

How does IMAP work?

When you setup your mail account, you select IMAP instead of POP -- It's that simple!!!

In fact, every device you setup with IMAP will then be connected to the 'server' level of your eMail and will be in sync instantly. You can even run POP and IMAP at the same time on your computer to observe the different functions and results.

With IMAP, you will have total control of your communications at both levels (the server and your different client devices).

By controlling communications at the server level (becoming Postmaster at your own Virtual Post Office), you will be in control of the different solutions ISPs have at their fingertips to reduce or reroute SPAM and other unwanted communications.

You will also have the ability (again at the "server level") to create "aliases" (eMail addresses) and mailboxes, and route (filter) different messages to these boxes based on To:, From:, Subject: Body of Message, Header, and many other criteria. You can also create different autoresponders for each mailbox and send a copy of the message to others (or computers) for processing and follow through.

Oh, did I forget to tell you, as soon as you access your account with IMAP, the new folders you created on any computer appear on your computer as well (your information is in total sync on all devices at all times).

While doing research at my favorite library (Google), I found the following article on IMAP vs. POP, and I thought I would share the article with you. Here is the link...

http://www.imap.org/papers/imap.vs.pop.html

Please keep in mind while reading the article that it was written over 8 years ago (1993) and revised a few years later (1995). I point this out because the only advantage of POP over IMAP "then" was the number of eMail managers (software) that supported the IMAP protocol. Now, IMAP is a common protocol and is supported by all the popular eMail clients (including handheld proprietary applications like Palm OS).

Also, I don't think it is really a matter of POP over IMAP as both can be used together. In fact, you can run both on the same computer at the same time.

Here is an excerpt from the article...

<snip>
In addition to fully supporting the offline access paradigm, IMAP offers capabilities that are essential for proper online message access, and which cannot be achieved with POP mailers.
<snip>

<snip>
A reasonable conclusion is that the only advantage of POP over IMAP is that there is currently more POP software available. However, this is changing rapidly, and IMAP's functional advantages over POP are nothing less than overwhelming.
<snip>

"IMAP's functional advantages… "overwhelming". I agree and I look forward to discussing the different feature sets that become available to you when you utilize IMAP.

Don't forget you can use both protocols at the same time, which I do. Utilizing both protocols gives us the ability to have the best of both worlds (and not all that unwanted SPAM).

MB
By Mike Barnett, Broker CRS, e-PRO, GRI
VP Technology, InternetCrusade
http://InternetCrusade.com
MailTo:Mike@InternetCrusade.com