PC email programs have two ways to get your mail from the server,
called POP and IMAP. Most programs, including Netscape, Outlook, and
Outlook Express, can be configured either way. The EE Department
supports both.
IMAP keeps the mail folders on the server, and it is compatible with Webmail
and Pine. You can switch between different computers, mail programs, Webmail,
and Pine, and they will all show the same mail folders and have the same messages
marked as seen. If you want this flexibility, use IMAP.
POP keeps the mail folders on the PC. This has some advantages for
speed and offline use, but requires that you always read mail with the
same PC, which may be true if you carry a laptop around, or always
read your EE Columbia mail from the office.
Be careful using a mail program on someone else's computer unless you know
which protocol it is using. You do not want POP to move your mail to that
PC where you cannot get it later from elsewhere. For a quick check of new
mail, the EE Web-based email system
is always safe.
Summary of IMAP Features
The IMAP Inbox is stored on the EE mail server. To view it, you
must have a network connection open. You can use other mail folders
on the mail server, in addition to the Inbox.
All the mailboxes on the EE mail server are backed up, and can
usually be recovered, especially within the first few days after
loss.
If you have a lot of mail, look for a way to store mail into
"local" folders on your PC's hard drive, where you probably have much
more disk space available. You should be able to drag and drop groups
of messages and whole folders from the imap server to local folders.
You will have to wait for the messages to download when you do
this.
Summary of POP Features
The POP Inbox is stored on the PC's hard drive. The PC email
program contacts the server solely to pick up new mail. Otherwise,
all mail folders are on the hard drive. Access to mail folders on the
hard drive can be much faster than access to IMAP folders if your
network connection is relatively slow, like a dialup line.
The mail is mostly not backed up on the EE mail server.
It's not on AcIS's server long enough. You must back up the mail folders
the same way you back up any files on your PC.
Look for a configuration option to leave mail on server. The most
trouble-free choice is not to leave any on the server at all. Certainly,
do not simply leave on server indefinitely, because nothing will clear
out the mail, and eventually it will fill all your space and you won't
be able to get new mail. Leave on server only if you have some plan
to clear it out in the near future.
Extra Features
The makers of PC email programs have tried to offer ways around
the limitations of POP and IMAP by simulating to some degree what the
other protocol does.
Do you want to read mail offline? POP is the obvious solution, but
may not be ideal for you for some other reason. Most email programs
provide for an offline mode with IMAP. The program copies your entire
Inbox, and any other mail folders you specify, to local disk, so that
you don't need to be on the net to see them. Later, when you are
online again, the email program will synchronize changes you made in
the local copy with the copy on the EE mail server. Offline mode does
not always work smoothly, and some email programs make it easier than
others.
Do you want to use two PCs to read mail, one at home and one at work?
IMAP is the obvious solution, since it will show you the same Inbox at
both places. But some email programs provide a way to do it with POP,
by leaving mail on server for a specified number of days. As long as
you use each PC within that many days, each will be able to maintain a
complete copy of your mail. They are each looking at their own copy
of Inbox, so mail seen or deleted on one is not marked seen or deleted
on the other PC.