Re: querky digest

[jlandry@domain.elided (John A. Landry)]

TERNOV@domain.elided scribbled in the sand:

>I'm sure many people have mentioned this, and I'm also sure Richard is doing
>everything he can to correct such querks
[snip]

Devin,

This isn't an AOL bash, but with all due respect the problem is more with AOL
than with the Digest server.  First, you have AOL with an absolutely
overloaded mail system, not to mention overloaded server system in general.
Then, you have their quirky interface and mail software (from what I've seen)
is pretty pathetic compared to some of the standard e-mail packages now
available for use on the Internet.  Doesn't AOL allow you to install and use
better e-mail software with their interface... like Agent, Eudora, Pegasus,
etc.?  As I understand it, AOL e-mail software limits the size of e-mail
message you can review on-line and forces you to download larger messages.
This is an AOL issue... not generally a problem for the rest of us.  We can't
expect AOL problems to make policy for the rest of us.

I have a straight Internet provider and can use any type of software I choose
and have very few problems working with the Digest.  Like most PPP type
account users, I prefer to download all e-mail from a POP server to my PC.  I
decide how large messages have to be before my e-mail software refuses to
download them and leaves them on the mail server.  In the early days of the
Internet most folks did read and manage e-mail on-line directly on the
provider's UNIX server using programs like "pine", but now almost everyone
retrieves their mail from an works with it locally on their PC.

Any problems I've had with posting to the Digest are because I didn't
understand the server message size limits or embedded 8 bit character
restrictions.  Maybe some other AOL users can offer suggestions to help you
work within or around AOL's e-mail limitations?

Best of luck to you,

John
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