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[glloyd]

I'm curious If the SquirrelMail web mail software is tried and tested and well used within the industry why is it only being installed on a temporary basis?

[petervaughan]

It is/was used by Metronet so PN already have in-house experience of it. Several other ISPs use it and it has been around for some time and has I understand a good track record.

It is temporary because PN need time to think about how they want Webmail to function / integrate into the portal and be compatible with their future plans. They are looking for a solution that they can improve and add the features they want and we ask for onto. There are several candidates out there so they will need to look at / evaluate each one and pick the one they are happy with.

[channel]

I feel a btinternet/yahoo mail solution is in the offing....

[Mark Kelly]

I feel a btinternet/yahoo mail solution is in the offing.

Sorry to disappoint you James but we aint BT/Yahoo. We're PlusNet and as such we wont give you that.

[channel]

Thanks for your typically grand statements, Mark, but I prefer to wait and see. (I don't take too much notice of someone in charge of getting the referrals up!)

Given the incompetence currently shown by Plus Net, it won't be long before their masters integrate the Plus Net problem into a BT solution.

Personally, I would be very disappointed if PN don't leverage their marriage to BT in order to improve the current dire state of affairs.

I have been using BTInternet webmail for years without any of the following happening:

1) The account being hacked by a spammer
2) My account details being compromised
3) My email address being one of 20,000 others distributed to the userbase by the ISP
4) Downtime on the webmail server
5) Problems with not having a secure enough password
6) All my mail being deleted thanks to an "old trick" from the engineers
7) Err... I could go on, but essentially I have never had a bad experience with BTInternet/Yahoo.

Obviously, sorry to disappoint you, but this is in stark contrast to my experiences with certain other fly-by-night ISPs!

[Mark Kelly]

You have stuck with us through thick and thin James and your loyalty is greatly appreciated.

[channel]

Very true, Mark!

The main reason I have stayed around is because changing email addresses was such a pain in the posterior.

Of course, now that I am transferring all my (spam deluged) email addresses to gmail, I might become more of a free agent in the near future.

[glloyd]

Thanks for your typically grand statements, Mark, but I prefer to wait and see. (I don't take too much notice of someone in charge of getting the referrals up!)

Given the incompetence currently shown by Plus Net, it won't be long before their masters integrate the Plus Net problem into a BT solution.

Personally, I would be very disappointed if PN don't leverage their marriage to BT in order to improve the current dire state of affairs.

I have been using BTInternet webmail for years without any of the following happening:

1) The account being hacked by a spammer
2) My account details being compromised
3) My email address being one of 20,000 others distributed to the userbase by the ISP
4) Downtime on the webmail server
5) Problems with not having a secure enough password
6) All my mail being deleted thanks to an "old trick" from the engineers
7) Err... I could go on, but essentially I have never had a bad experience with BTInternet/Yahoo.

Obviously, sorry to disappoint you, but this is in stark contrast to my experiences with certain other fly-by-night ISPs!

I get very annoyed when I read post like the above. Even the best managed network/systems have been hacked into such as M.O.D, NASA, US Government, Banks to name but a few and none of these were open to the public. Mistakes are made no matter how much you try to avoid them and it's hardly the end of the world that a commercially available web mail package got hacked.

[channel]

George,

With respect, I don't think I said it was the end of the world; I just compared my experience with Plus Net's email service with my experience of BTInternet's email service and found it compared unfavourably. This was in the context that I expressed a wish that Plus Net should leverage its marriage to BT in order to adopt the latter's more robust platform.

This may be at odds with your apparent desire to see a permanent Squirrelmail implementation, but I trust that even you could see that it is not unreasonable for me to express an opinion, despite the fact that it "annoys" you.

If if makes you feel slightly less annoyed that I dared put a view across in this thread, then do bear in mind that I am a current customer, as alluded to by Mark. I know that you view this as being an important consideration when you determine who to attack in public forums.

[portmoak]

Mistakes are made no matter how much you try to avoid them and it's hardly the end of the world that a commercially available web mail package got hacked.

Indeed they are but PN must hold some sort of world record for their volume and scale.

I'm not that bothered about whether you see this as world-ending or not but I can assure you that it is a major PITFA for me and I have lots of better things to do with my time than spend it trying to recover from the results of PN's continual goofs.

[glloyd]

I think the difference is when something goes wrong PlusNet do not try to hide it and keeps users informed. I would suggest that many other ISP's would say there was a problem if anything and leave customers guessing as to the reason.

[glloyd]

George,

With respect, I don't think I said it was the end of the world; I just compared my experience with Plus Net's email service with my experience of BTInternet's email service and found it compared unfavourably. This was in the context that I expressed a wish that Plus Net should leverage its marriage to BT in order to adopt the latter's more robust platform.

I to had experience BTInternets email service and they had no end of problems when I was with them.

This may be at odds with your apparent desire to see a permanent Squirrelmail implementation, but I trust that even you could see that it is not unreasonable for me to express an opinion, despite the fact that it "annoys" you.

I have no desire one way or another as to what software is used. I was just curious why Squirrelmail was only temporary if it was tried and tested.

If if makes you feel slightly less annoyed that I dared put a view across in this thread, then do bear in mind that I am a current customer, as alluded to by Mark. I know that you view this as being an important consideration when you determine who to attack in public forums.

Do you really think it helps matters by being rude or abusive? Yes there is/was a problem and everything is being done to rectify it. Nothing can be done to undo what has happened and no lives have been lost. To read some people you would think it's caused WW3.

[Loombucket]

I wouldn't want to see this thread hijacked into an argument but I really must inject a little balance here.

As mentioned more than once on this forum, I am an itinerant IT engineer and as such have the misfortune to work with several different ISPs on a regular basis.  These include BT, Virgin, TalkTalk (spit), Tiscali, IDNet and Demon.  My experience is therefore just about wide enough for me to state that PN's reaction to the current problem has been far more prompt, thorough, comprehensive and above all transparent than any other ISP I've ever worked with and it is the only ISP in my experience who's service is (albeit from an abysmal level last year) continually improving.

BT Internet, on the other hand, are an absolute mightmare to deal with, both technically and administratively, and their BT/Yahoo mail service can be so appalling that several BT customers have migrated to PN because of it.

PN are by NO means perfect and have had problems in the last year that have cost me quite a few grey hairs, but compared to what appears to be the current average there is a lot to be said for them.  Speaking purely personally I would far rather work with PN than almost any other ISP (there is one exception to that but their pricing is astronomical) so PLEASE can people stick to (1) the point, and (2) the facts when berating PN.

When they need beating about the ears you'll probably find me in the front rank with the rest of you, swinging the largest LART (look it up) I can lay my hands on, but keep it fair, OK?   


Thus spake Loombucket, disappearing now into the middle distance and ducking to avoid the shower of missiles that will no doubt be sent in his direction, heading for the safety of an underground bunker with a well-stocked bar, a well-stacked barmaid and a lock on the inside...

[jazz]

Well said Loombucket!!

[jelv1]

I feel a btinternet/yahoo mail solution is in the offing....

In 2000 when I was considering leaving BT, guess what the deciding factor was?