SquirrelMail : Do you dig it?

johnkirk · ‎05-03-2011

Plusnet webmail is a real disappointment. Not only is it extremely restrictive (such as unable to highlight text, change font colour, etc.), 10% of my connections fail and I get the error message ERROR: CONNECTION DROPPED BY IMAP SERVER.
I use Gmail, which is much much more reliable, more flexible, more advanced, and above all free.
I regret becoming a Plusnet customer (which incidentally happened by an error at Plusnet when they detagged me from the former MADASAFISH. Having detagged me, they were unable to tag me back to Madasafish, hence defauted to the dreaded Plusnet).
Tried 3 times to phone Plusnet last week in connection with service problems, each time getting the message that the wait time is 25, 25, 35 mins respectively. I waited the full time on the 3rd attempt (waited 42 minutes). Appalling! The reason they cannot answer your call is that they are understaffed for the demand.
Go for a quality provider. I think Plusnet would have been deemed a quality provider until recently, but have been swamped by failures and inability to live up to previous good service. Unfortunately I have a contract that has a further 9 months to run. Gone are the days when I consistently encountered excellent service under Madasafish, which Plusnet has taken over now.

hevey · ‎31-07-2007

Quote from: Ben
We rely on many free, open source products. The vast majority of our servers run Debian GNU/Linux, we use Apache and PHP for our websites, Exim for email processing, MySQL for various databases, FreeRADIUS for authentication, the list goes on. We're not alone in this either, there are many companies (many significantly bigger than us) who use Free and Open Source Software in their day to day business. Just because something is free, doesn't mean it's not good quality. Also, it's much easier to debug things if you can read the source.

There is nothing wrong with open source software - even the NHS use it! Almost all of the open source stuff I use at PlusNet is fabulous - performant and does what it says on the tin!
The only exception to this appears to be Squirrel Mail, which inexplicably is allowed to let the PlusNet side down - an otherwise superb ISP in every other respect. The 1990s style interface is tolerable, but the performance is embarrassing. Squirrel is clearly either running on under-resourced servers, or is at the wrong end of a slow connection somewhere. (The EMAIL servers are not - connecting vis POP3 or IMAP directly is as zippy as a zippy thing.
I really can't fathom why this is other than, as another poster suggested, the agenda being to move us off to gmail etc. and get them to pay for it. Normally I wouldn't be worried, but I work in an environment where almost everything's blocked at the firewall - for some reason plusnet squirrel is allowed through

hevey · ‎31-07-2007

Quote from: Oddball
Why struggle with Squirellmail when Gmail can handle plusnet email How to
Google is your friend

That link appears to have gone, but I did find this one
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,270.msg789918.html#msg789918
although I don't see the option to import other pop3 accounts in my gmail? I'm using the HTML version as I can't find a settings link in the rich client

Midnight_Caller · ‎15-04-2007

I have just posted on "Do I like Squirrel Mail?[" it Answers why Squirrel Mail is having problems.
@Bob, please go and have a look.

Midnight_Caller · ‎15-04-2007

Quote from: Oddball
Why struggle with Squirellmail when Gmail can handle plusnet email How to
Google is your friend

Google is not your friend, Google is like Phorm, Google targetes advertisements at you from what thay scrape from your emails.

Report to Moderator · ‎08-03-2011

Well, at least it works better than Squirrelmail.
As Bob has alluded to someone covering this for the library, is there anyone who can do it for us? I am not knowledgeable enough but would like to see an article done properly.
At the moment, I have set up Gmail to collect from Plusnet and leave the message on the server so I have to go into SM and delete them. Gmail checks about every 50 minutes or thereabouts so there is a delay. You can go into settings and click Check, then Refresh but that's two more steps.
I would imagine that it's best to have redirects set up in Manage My Mail so if someone can explain this it would save me having a go and making a mess of things.

Santiago · ‎10-08-2007

Quote from: hevey
Quote from: Oddball
Why struggle with Squirellmail when Gmail can handle plusnet email How to
Google is your friend

That link appears to have gone

still works for me http://lifehacker.com/#!376367/consolidate-multiple-email-addresses-with-gmail

Midnight_Caller · ‎15-04-2007

@poppy, I would not touch gmail with a 10 foot barge pole, I am sorry to say any one who uses gmail needs there head looking at!
SquirrelMail is 1000% better than gmail, it does not scrape your emails to targete advertisements at you.
The email Servers just need updating with the latest Version of SquirrelMail as I have sed here

VileReynard · ‎01-09-2007

Since Google mail serves all those adverts, it's got ample resources so I use it as my main email.
I do this on the basis that emails contain zero secret contents and Phorms "Traffic Analysis" methods (analysing who speaks to who) is quite limited for email,
especially since gmail can't analyse email that doesn't use gmail.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Report to Moderator · ‎09-03-2011

MC - I am not sure what adverts you are talking about because when I log into Gmail there is not one in sight. If Plusnet had a decent webmail service (which I would prefer) I would still have to keep Gmail because I use the other functions from time to time such as documents, Calendar reminders and Reader.
In any event it is no different to television where there are advertisements every 15 minutes or so.
In any event, they are not reading emails AFAIK. The notion of privacy in life is non-existent anyway despite the Data Protection Act.

VileReynard · ‎01-09-2007

poppy - look at the right hand side of the screen when you have an email open - you will see a lot of adverts.
The adverts see words in your email to select "adverts of interest to you".
BTW Google keep all your emails - even deleted ones, so that they could/can build a profile of your interests.
I don't think Google are in the same league as Phorm since they only intercept emails, not web pages, and only for those emails you decide to trust them with.
Personally, I wouldn't trust them with most PDF or other documents, unless you use a lot of encryption.

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

Chris · ‎05-04-2007

We know webmail has been very slow recently, so we're going to make a network change tomorrow to try and help ease the issue. We'll let you know when the change is made.

Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.

talpa · ‎26-03-2008

Good to hear Chris - right now I can't even get logged in due to repeated dropped IMAP connections...

talpa · ‎26-03-2008

Hi Chris,
Did the change get made?

bobpullen · ‎04-04-2007

Yes.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
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