What volume of email can you leave on the server?

[#1]

I've been using IMAP for a few years. Today I received an email from PN saying that excessive volume was on the server. There is no advice on which mailbox(es) or by how much.
I've previously asked what the limits are but ever received an answer. All PN reps ever said at the time was that there are no defined limits.
So, what is reasonable, and what are PN's guidelines?

[#2]

Good Afternoon Mr Toast,
The limit for stored email is 1Gb as per the information here: http://www.plus.net/support/email/common_questions.shtml#limits
Regards,
Matt

[#3]

Thanks for the link Matt. Thats new info for me.
Now, how do I tell how much is in each mailbox without downloading it all? Is there a tool on the server to do that?

[#4]

Hey there,
There currently isn't a way of seeing the mailbox size, However, I have put some feedback through to our development team, with a suggestion to get this implemented.
Regards,
Matt

[#5]

Quote from: Mattz0r

I have put some feedback through to our development team,

Thanks Matt. That would be really good to see something implemented.

[#6]

Quote from: Mattz0r

There currently isn't a way of seeing the mailbox size,

Then how the heck did someone determine that he had too much mail stored?

[#7]

Now I'm advised on the ticket #36662884  that I'm to keep sub 600M , but I still don't know what my total agregate actually is.
Matt, Could you ask the support analyst to help with more data and reconciliation of the conflict betsween the published support pages and the ticket advice.

[#8]

Quote from: jelv

Then how the heck did someone determine that he had too much mail stored?

For the customer, there currently isn't a way as of yet. However, there are automated scripts in place, to monitor mailbox sizes.

[#9]

You can use thunderbird to view folder sizes, just install the Extra Folder Columns add-in and you can then select Size as an extra column in the folder view.
Cheers,
Matt.

[#10]

Quote from: Mattz0r

Quote from: jelv Then how the heck did someone determine that he had too much mail stored? For the customer, there currently isn't a way as of yet. However, there are automated scripts in place, to monitor mailbox sizes.

So a typical solution is to use those scripts to email the customer a few times as they approach their limit: "Your email is 80% full. When you reach 100% emails sent to you will be [bounced or] queued into a storage inbox until you have reduced you usage to 90% or less" or suchlike. You should never delete customer emails under any circumstance of course. And have an algorithm that doesn't send so many emails that they use up the last of the customer's  quota before they can remedy the situation :-).

[#11]

Mr Toast:
I am pleased that you have asked PN this fundamental question and I look forward to their answer.  I raised this a year ago when I first got one of those 'warning' emails from PN.  Now if you look at my thread started a few days before yours, 'Most of my emails have been deleted...', you will see that with no notice (I was away) and without answering the question, PN has deleted most of my emails.
I regard PN's action as outrageous, and I am sure you would agree with that.  Note also the deplorable response from them
If you have any comments on that, I would be grateful if you could post them on my thread, though I will of course read yours too. It seems the same message can't be put on two threads.
- vanessen -

[#12]

Quoting rn:
"So a typical solution is to use those scripts to email the customer a few times as they approach their limit: "Your email is 80% full. When you reach 100% emails sent to you will be [bounced or] queued into a storage inbox until you have reduced you usage to 90% or less" or suchlike. You should never delete customer emails under any circumstance of course."
rn and Mr Toast - I expect you will be as outraged as I was, to see that without givng the means of measuring my storage, PN on Nov 11 DELETED most of my emails, having given me a routine warning (first since March) on Nov 3.  I returned from Rome to find this disaster.  See my thread in this forum entitled 'Most of my emails have been deleted...'
I have compalined bitterly to PN that if they are offering a webmail service and still have storage problems, they should at a minimum:
GIVE US THE LIMITS, AND THE MEANS TO MONITOR OUR USAGE
IF YOU ARE GOING TO DELETE, GIVE  SPECIFIC WARNINGS AND PLENTY OF NOTICE
Do you, the other users, agree?
- vanessen -

[#13]

Quote from: vanessen

GIVE US THE LIMITS, AND THE MEANS TO MONITOR OUR USAGE IF YOU ARE GOING TO DELETE, GIVE  SPECIFIC WARNINGS AND PLENTY OF NOTICE Do you, the other users, agree?

Sounds like a good idea, though I'd not shout it at PN... might discline them to do anything! 

[#14]

In fact I have specifically asked them this:
"You have failed to address my main point. It is completely unacceptable to impose limits, with threats of serious action, while giving the customer no means of monitoring the usage.
I seek an assurance from you that no deletions will take place until you have given us the means to monitor our usage.
When do you expect to have this in place?"
And on the same day, Dec 2, I get the answer:
"I am afraid we are unable to give you such a promise, as we do not offer tools to manage your mailspace in this way. Unfortunately rely on the fact that our residential customer would rarely need such a large capacity for email. We can only ask that you monitor this yourself visually by checking how many emails you leave stored on our servers."
So there you have it.  This is PlusNet's webmail offer.  No prospect of an improvement in the service, and every prospect that our emails will get deleted at short notice.  Extremely disappointing 'service' from those otherwise decent people in Yorkshire.

[#15]

Those interested in this thread, might want to continue the discussion over here where I've posted my 2p.