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Web Browser and Mail Client Selection . How to get the best from the web and e-mail. What prompted this?. University’s move to SSL mail authentication Netscape 4.7x no longer handles some web pages Concerns over mail backups. What is SSL mail authentication and why should I care?.
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Web Browser and Mail Client Selection How to get the best from the web and e-mail
What prompted this? • University’s move to SSL mail authentication • Netscape 4.7x no longer handles some web pages • Concerns over mail backups
What is SSL mail authentication and why should I care? • When you check mail your username and password can be seen with a network sniffer • SSL encrypts this information • Problem: Netscape 4.7x does not support SSL authentication
Netscape 4.7x no longer handles some web pages • What Netscape 4.7x won’t do: • I-Frames • XML • What Netscape 4.7x doesn’t do well: • Tables (in some cases) • Cascading Style Sheets • Example: Hokie Spa (pay stubs), My VT
You mean my mail isn’t backed up? • If you are using Netscape 4.7x with a profile on Z: it is. • If you are using anything else except Outlook/Exchange, it isn’t.
Can you back up my mail? • In a word: No, not if it’s stored on your local machine (all Eudora, OE, Outlook w/POP mail, and some Netscape users) • Would require custom scripts for each computer • Would require moving a large amount of data across the network • Prone to failure at the least little glitch
So what should I do? • We recommend Outlook/Exchange for mail and Internet Explorer for the web
What is Outlook/Exchange? • A premium mail service provided by the university for faculty and staff at no cost • In addition to mail it provides calendaring and allows for delegation of permissions • Mail and your contact list (address book) can stay on the university’s servers • Exchange mailboxes are backed up regularly • Good remote access
Remote Access Web Outlook has similar look and feel to Outlook
One more Benefit With Outlook/Exchange : • No message size limit when sending mail from one Exchange user to another (if everyone used it you could send each other large files) • If you are using POP mail the limit is 4.5 MB • That includes message overhead (stuff you don’t see) so the effective limit is even less! • Mail going through POP servers still have the 4.5 MB limit
Finally: • Have you ever tried to set up a meeting with multiple participants? • Can require many messages back and forth • With Outlook/Exchange you can choose a time and send an email to all participants. Exchange will find a time all participants are free
Any drawbacks to Outlook/Exchange? • Mailbox limited to 50 MB total, but old items can be archived to a file on your Z: drive automatically and accessed at any time (mailbox size can be increased at the discretion of the postmaster) • Doesn’t support some proprietary functionality, like Eudora’s nested address books
Full functionalityDr. DillardDr. LeskoDr. CaseDr. Hyer (new user) SheliaMark Calendar onlyDr. DowlingBevJoycePatNancySandie Current users in ESM
I still don’t want to change! • If you are using Netscape 4.7x you must change to something else by September or use Webmail. After that Netscape will not work • You can continue to use Eudora, OE, or Outlook (POP mail) but your mail and address book will not be backed up. If your hard drive fails, it’s gone.
Compromise! • You can use Eudora with Exchange via IMAP • Your mail will be backed up by the Exchange administrators • The Exchange limitations on mailbox size still apply • No Autoarchiving • You can’t view calendars
Web BrowserWhy IE instead of Netscape? • IE has better support than Netscape • IE is faster • IE has a cleaner interface • Netscape installs additional unwanted software
Any drawbacks to IE? • It’s by Microsoft, so it crashes every once in a while.
I don’t care. I still want Netscape ! • Have it your way. We can install Netscape 7 • Just be aware that if you have problems with it we may not be able to resolve them.
Must I decide now? • Mail changes take place this fall • It would be best to decide before things get hectic with the new semester
Links to Mail System Information Configure your mail client for SSL usage:http://answers.vt.edu/ask4help/email/vtkb1613.htm Client comparison (things that work with Exchange)http://www.computing.vt.edu/email_and_calendaring/exchange/clientfeatures.html Set up your own Exchange account at Hokies Self Service:https://hokiespw.ais.vt.edu/work/selfservice/authenticate.php (log on with your pid and click the “My Exchange” tab) Information on configuring Outlook:http://www.computing.vt.edu/email_and_calendaring/exchange/index.html