Some Frequently-Asked Questions About Email at the UO
[also see Email-Related URLs below]
Q: What about Pine and other command-line email clients?
A: Pine (and other command line email clients) have traditionally worked
very well for many users, and continue to be an option. The biggest problems
with Pine and other command-line email clients have been that printing messages
doesn't work the way users expect it should; and, as a text-only application,
command-line email clients have limitations when working with attachments.
Q: What about departmental-only email?
A: Some departments have elected to run departmental email solutions
such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Groupwise, etc.
If those departmental email solutions work well for those departments, that's
fine. However, since our support staff do not have accounts on those departmental-only
systems, and because there's a limit to the number of different email clients
we can learn and maintain proficiency in, we can't directly support users of
departmental email systems. Users of those systems should contact their departmental
system administrators for assistance with any problems they may have.
Q: What about free web-based email solutions such as Hotmail?
A: You should use a UO account for your UO-related (academic and administrative)
email. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Loss of UO Identity: When you send email from a free web-based email
account, UO recipients of that email have no way of knowing that you're from
the UO. Because many of our services are limited to UO faculty, students and
staff only, when you send email from a non-UO account you may be denied access
to some services, or experience delays in getting service which would not
occur if you were using a UO address.
- Overlooked Incoming Email on Your UO Account(s): If you use a non-UO
account, you may end up missing email sent to your account of record (as listed
in the UO online directory).
- Free Web-Based Email is Filtered By Some Users/Sites: Because many
spammers routinely exploit free web-based email providers to send their spam,
or forge the address of free web-based email providers into spam sent from
elsewhere, many people routinely filter ALL email from free web-based email
providers. Often this results in your messages from the free web-based email
provider simply being silently discarded.
- Free Web-Based Email Systems Are Favorite Targets For Spammers: Receipt
of spam is a problem at many free web- based email sites, too. While we actively
work to eliminate spam on Darkwing, Gladstone and Oregon, there's nothing
we can do to help you eliminate problems you may have with receiving spam
on a free web-based email account.
- Free Web-Based Email Systems Do Not Generally Support Encryption:
Most free web-based email solutions do not offer encryption of your email
messages or your username and password, which can leave you vulnerable to
hacker/crackers sniffing your traffic.
- POP Consolidation Routines Represent Security Vulnerabilities: Some
free web-based email solutions permit you to consolidate email from multiple
accounts (located elsewhere) on a single free web-based email account, typically
using the POP3 (Post Office Protocol) to retrieve the mail from those other
accounts. If you POP your UO email onto a free web-based email account, the
free web-based email site will typically store your UO account information
and password on a server at their site--a very insecure practice.
- Hidden costs: "Free" web-based email solutions such as
Hotmail are actually supported by advertising and have various hidden costs.
For example, the university ends up having to engineer additional network
capacity to accommodate the load associated with those "free" services.
Email received on Darkwing, Gladstone, or Oregon is far more efficient and
cost-effective.
In conclusion, we urge you to use the UO accounts that are made available to
you for your UO administrative and academic business.
Email-Related URLs:
Your email and viruses....
Your email and security....
Fall 2001 Computing News
| Computing Center Home Page
