Posted by Sanders Kaufman on 09/18/07 02:39

Jerry Stuckle wrote:
> Sanders Kaufman wrote:

>> I like the way you wobble back and forth on that.
>> It's not a realy - except when it is.
>
> Nope, I stand that most public MTA's are not relays.

OK, Jerry - but that requires a very wrong interpretation of the word
"Transfer".

Seriously - on this I consider myself an honest expert. Back in 95, I
built the first Fax-Over-IP protocol, as you've heard me say once or
twice before.

In that effort, I spent a year *constantly* consulting with Marshall
Rose and he gave me an excellent education on this. If you don't know
who he is, check the SMTP specification; his name is on it.

I can't claim his expertise as my own - but when you consider that MTA
stands for Message Transfer Agent, the truth that it is a relay becomes
quite self-evident.


>> That last, of course, is why I suggested that the OP use an SSL
>> secured mail relay.
>
> Which has absolutely no effect on whether the relay is secure or not.
> All SSL does is encrypt the data.

Wow - could you BE more self-contradictory?


> When an MTA receives a message and places it in a POP (or IMAP) mailbox,
> it is called "Delivery", not relay. Relay is used to indicate passing
> on to another MTA.

And how does it get from the outgoing MTA, to the incoming MTA? Relay.
Thus - an MTA that does not relay, is merely a POP.

btw - it would be more accurate for you to say POP3 Server, because POP
has a very specific tele-communications networking meaning beyond
internet email.

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