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Groups > linux.debian.user > #186783

Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook]

From <tomas@tuxteam.de>
Newsgroups linux.debian.user
Subject Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook]
Date 2017-09-14 14:20 +0200
Message-ID <upBhD-4VV-3@gated-at.bofh.it> (permalink)
References <uplPz-3aF-1@gated-at.bofh.it> <upxe2-2cp-15@gated-at.bofh.it> <upAEW-4qT-15@gated-at.bofh.it>
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On Thu, Sep 14, 2017 at 07:38:57AM -0400, rhkramer@gmail.com wrote:

[...]

> I'm sort of moving OT, but want to ask: presumably you think IMAP is 
> preferable to POP3--what makes you say that (in general)?

POP3 is only useful if you plan to always get the whole mail batch
from the server and delete it there. IMAP gives you much more
flexibility (and besides it has this IDLE feature, where the client
can keep the connection open and get notified -- i.e. instant mail
delivery without polling).

I know, with pop3 you can theoretically leave your mail at the
server, but... the protocol makes it very difficult to see that
you don't download mails twice, or many times.

> It's been a long time since i chose to use pop3 instead of imap--in fact, 
> iirc, imap became an option later, and my decision was more whether to stick 
> with POP3 or switch to imap.

If it's working for you, don't touch it. For what it was conceived, POP3
is fine!

> I prefer pop3 because it (in most cases, unless set otherwise or dealing with 
> gmail) deletes the email from the email server, which is what I prefer.

You can do that with IMAP too.

> I presume imap gives you an option to delete mail from the server?

Yes. What's nifty is -- you can decide *when* to delete things (this
way, I try to keep mails around in the server for one extra round, to
allow for my client to have done a backup in the meantime).

> I recognize that leaving email on the server can make it easier to access your 
> email from multiple devices, but (1) I rarely have that need (maybe not in the 
> last 10 years), and (2), when I do, I can set pop3 to leave email on the 
> server (but, iirc, I typically set my "main" email device to delete it from 
> the server--iirc, if I didn't, I'd keep getting the same emails sent to me 
> over and over--but maybe I'm not remembering that correctly.

Heh. Welcome to POP3 and its mysterious UIDLs :-)

Cheers
- -- tomás
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Thread

getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Steve Kleene <skdeb@syrano.acb.uc.edu> - 2017-09-13 21:50 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Darac Marjal <mailinglist@darac.org.uk> - 2017-09-13 22:20 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook "Alexander V. Makartsev" <avbetev@gmail.com> - 2017-09-13 22:20 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Sarunas Burdulis <sarunas@math.dartmouth.edu> - 2017-09-13 22:40 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2017-09-13 22:50 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Erik Christiansen <dvalin@internode.on.net> - 2017-09-14 09:00 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2017-09-14 10:00 +0200
    Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook rhkramer@gmail.com - 2017-09-14 13:40 +0200
      Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Darac Marjal <mailinglist@darac.org.uk> - 2017-09-14 14:00 +0200
        Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2017-09-14 14:20 +0200
          Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 17:00 +0200
            Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-09-14 17:30 +0200
              Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Reco <recoverym4n@gmail.com> - 2017-09-14 18:00 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-09-14 18:20 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Reco <recoverym4n@gmail.com> - 2017-09-14 18:30 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-09-14 18:40 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2017-09-15 05:10 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Greg Wooledge <wooledg@eeg.ccf.org> - 2017-09-15 14:20 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> - 2017-09-16 16:40 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Curt <curty@free.fr> - 2017-09-16 17:30 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Brad Rogers <brad@fineby.me.uk> - 2017-09-16 18:10 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 18:40 +0200
                Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-09-15 03:30 +0200
                OT: Crossing toll bridges (was Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook) rhkramer@gmail.com - 2017-09-15 14:50 +0200
              Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 18:30 +0200
            Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook John Hasler <jhasler@newsguy.com> - 2017-09-14 18:10 +0200
              Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 19:00 +0200
      Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook] <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2017-09-14 14:20 +0200
        Re: Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from  Exchange/Outlook] Frank <zuiderduin@gmx.com> - 2017-09-14 16:50 +0200
          Re: Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook] Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 17:00 +0200
            Re: Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from  Exchange/Outlook] David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2017-09-14 17:30 +0200
              Re: Why IMAP instead of POP3 [was: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook] Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2017-09-14 18:40 +0200
      Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Eduardo M KALINOWSKI <eduardo@kalinowski.com.br> - 2017-09-14 14:40 +0200
      Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2017-09-14 18:20 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook soyeomul@doraji.xyz (Byung-Hee HWANG (황병희, 黃炳熙)) - 2017-09-14 15:00 +0200
    Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2017-09-14 17:40 +0200
  Re: getting mail from Exchange/Outlook Richard Hector <richard@walnut.gen.nz> - 2017-09-15 04:30 +0200

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