On Wednesday 24 October 2007 14:48:09 Laurence Bates wrote:
> Most people believe that email is a useful alternative to using the
> telephone.  It need not be instantaneous, but unpredictable delays of
> several hours, many times per week, (which is what I am seeing) is a
> significant hindrance to getting work done.

   Unpredictability is frustrating, but you also don't know where the
problem(s) are.  When email doesn't get to MSU quickly, it could be
that 1) the sending system is having a problem, 2) there is a MX type
of relay thats having a problem, 3) The receiving system has 3a)
gotten it but something is busy and isn't in the user's mailbox yet,
3b) the receving system is just plain busy and it hasn't gotten into
the spool yet.

   There are lots of opportunities for problems here.  Spam adds to
the problems tremendously, such that several friends of mine have
seen their email systems completely overloaded with spam, such
that their systems were so busy dealing with that, that real stuff
couldn't get through.  Those folks are all now investigating grey-
listing systems.

   The plain fact of the matter is that to have a good email system
you've got to have *lots* of resources you didn't need before, and
what worked last year likely isn't enough today.

   Part of what I do is try and educate my users about the realities
of spam and how to best deal with it.

--STeve Andre'
Political Science