We use email incessantly. How often do you have problems with your email?
Power went off in a client's office. Before realizing that the fuse had blown out, the very first phone call was to me, "Can you check to see why I am not getting email?"
We are all completely dependent on email, and yet....
Do any of these problems look familiar?
• Pop lock
• Improper header
• Corrupted files
• Local automated updates that change settings
• Port Blocks
• Spam
• Viruses
• Improper forward settings
• Mobile devices with conflicting settings
• Blacklist blocks
• Security settings
• Password issues
• Rules
• Attachment restrictions
• Updates to mail clients (newer v. older versions)
• Slow Internet connection
• Server outages
• Platform incompatibilities
• Delete button
• DNS Misconfigurations
• SMTP errors
• Over quota
• Power Outage*
• Delivery errors:
- X.1.0 Other address status
- X.1.1 Bad destination mailbox address
- X.2.0 Bad destination system address
- X.1.3 Bad destination mailbox address syntax
- X.1.4 Destination mailbox address ambiguous
- X.1.5 Destination mailbox address valid
- X.1.6 Mailbox has moved
- X.1.7 Bad sender's mailbox address syntax
- X.1.8 Bad sender's system address
- X.2.0 Other or undefined mailbox status
- X.2.1 Mailbox disabled, not accepting messages
- X.2.2 Mailbox full
- X.2.3 Message length exceeds administrative limit.
- X.2.4 Mailing list expansion problem
- X.3.0 Other or undefined mail system status
- X.3.1 Mail system full
- X.3.2 System not accepting network messages
- X.3.3 System not capable of selected features
- X.3.4 Message too big for system
- X.4.0 Other or undefined network or routing status
- X.4.1 No answer from host
- X.4.2 Bad connection
- X.4.3 Routing server failure
- X.4.4 Unable to route
- X.4.5 Network congestion
- X.4.6 Routing loop detected
- X.4.7 Delivery time expired
- X.5.0 Other or undefined protocol status
- X.5.1 Invalid command
- X.5.2 Syntax error
- X.5.3 Too many recipients
- X.5.4 Invalid command arguments
- X.5.5 Wrong protocol version
- X.6.0 Other or undefined media error
- X.6.1 Media not supported
- X.6.2 Conversion required and prohibited
- X.6.3 Conversion required but not supported
- X.6.4 Conversion with loss performed
- X.6.5 Conversion failed
- X.7.0 Other or undefined security status
- X.7.1 Delivery not authorized, message refused
- X.7.2 Mailing list expansion prohibited
- X.7.3 Security conversion required but not possible
- X.7.4 Security features not supported
- X.7.5 Cryptographic failure
- X.7.6 Cryptographic algorithm not supported
- X.7.7 Message integrity failure
Nothing here is out of the ordinary. While we pay for our phone, mobile device, hosting, domain name, DSL and cable, no one actually charges specifically for email. After all, it is hard to charge to fix a technology that is inherently broken. But, how crazy, this most vital tool that we use everyday is really so impractical that we have to keep supporting this technology.
