🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <364.6677T1342T1366@kncowans.demon.co.uk>,
K.N.Cowans <kevin@kncowans.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Hello all
>
>What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a POP3 mail feed instead of
>SMTP.

There isn't really such a thing as a POP3 feed.  POP3 is for a client to read
a single mailbox (although there are a few non-standard POP3 services around
these days).  SMTP and UUCP are feeding protocols, they can deliver to multiple
mailboxes in multiple domains and fully preserve envelope information.

The main advantages of POP3 are:

- there is Windows and Mac software which is user friendly for accessing 
  single POP3 mailboxes.
- transfer is controlled by the dial up site, so you don't have to rely
  on hacks in the ISP to send when you connect, and don't have to be ready
  immediately.

The main advantages of SMTP are:

- it is a full feed system allowing multiple domains and mailboxes.
- it is real time.
- it fully supports internet style addressing in headers and envelopes.
- it is very good at ensuring that delivery failures are reported.

The main advantages of UUCP are:

- it is optimised for dial up use.
- it is a full feed system.
- modern implementations can handle most envelope address styles.
- both upload and download are done in a fast batch mode.

The main disadvantages of POP3 are:

- it destroys envelope information.
- it only supports a single mailbox (there are fudged solutions to this).

The main disadvantages of SMTP are:

- it is controlled by the sending side.
- it is not designed to minimise connection time, but rather to do
  real time error reporting.

The main disadvantages of UUCP are:

- the actual mail handling part is not well standardised.
- it is unfashionable, so those ISPs going after the fashion market don't
  support it.
- the best mode, batched SMTP, is not commonly supported.
- support for infrastructure failure reporting can be patchy.


Note that UUCP can be run over TCP, so you can still Web browse during the
transfer.

-- 
David Woolley, London, England          david@djwhome.demon.co.uk