Transcript Web Browser and Mail Client Selection

Web Browser and Mail
Client Selection
How to get the best from the web
and e-mail
What prompted this?
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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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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
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What Netscape 4.7x won’t do:
– I-Frames
– XML
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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?
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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?
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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?
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We recommend
Outlook/Exchange
for mail and
Internet Explorer
for the web
What is Outlook/Exchange?
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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 :
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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:
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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?
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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
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Full functionality
Dr. Dillard
Dr. Lesko
Dr. Case
Dr. Hyer (new user)
Shelia
Mark
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Calendar only
Dr. Dowling
Bev
Joyce
Pat
Nancy
Sandie
I still don’t want to change!
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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!
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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?
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IE has better support than Netscape
IE is faster
IE has a cleaner interface
Netscape installs additional unwanted
software
Any drawbacks to IE?
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It’s by Microsoft, so it crashes every
once in a while.
I don’t care. I still want
Netscape !
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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?
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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