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

Calendaring

More Calendaring

Delegation of Permissions

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

Current users in ESM

 Full functionality Dr. Dillard Dr. Lesko Dr. Case Dr. Hyer (new user) Shelia Mark  Calendar only Dr. Dowling Bev Joyce Pat Nancy Sandie

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

And it looks like this:

Web Browser Why 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/cl ientfeatures.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/in dex.html