For quite a while I've had an idea for an ongoing column on "Tech Support." Originally the column would be for our own products (D&A Software) but eventually would expand to other products as the need arose.
This first column deals with some items that keep repeating in our support mailbox. I thought it would be good to explain them here: it would save sending the same email response again and again.
The Problem: Identifying Spammers
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are plagued by SPAMMERS as much as we are. Spammers utilize the ISP's servers, requiring increases in capacity, special filtering schemes, etc.
A technique used by ISPs is to require that the user identify and authenticate him/herself prior to using the SMTP server. (An SMTP server is one that sends email from you to the world! It means Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.)
Since the SMTP does not include a mechanism for identification and authentication (i.e., provide login and a password), they use the mechanism that is available in the POP3 protocol. POP3 is the protocol that receives mail from the world to you.
Many ISPs now require that you login to the POP3 server first then to the SMTP server. Normally, the sequence is send email out, then receive email. By reversing the order, you are forced to identify yourself and authenticate yourself to the POP3 protocol and the ISP's servers then "know" who you are and provide you with a window to send out your email through their SMTP server.
Post/LX Can Handle Authentication
To get our Post/LX email program to conform to the above identification and authentication routine, here's what you will need to do.
After shutting down Post/LX, edit the POST.CFG mailbox specification.
You can identify a mailbox in POST.CFG easily. There is one called "Mail" and it begins with the header: [Mail]
Just add the following line in the beginning of that section.
POPFirst=1
Then save POST.CFG.
This POPFirst line forces Post/LX to go to the POP3 server first, send the login, authenticate, and collect email waiting for you. Then Post/LX will go to the SMTP server to send email out.
Use Blind Carbon Copy in Post/LX
We recently corrected the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) feature in Post/LX. BCC refers to the typewriter-based practice of sending copies of memos to several people without letting others know that such a copy was sent. The CC ("carbon copy") listed all the names of recipients.
The BCC feature in Post/LX now removes the list of names and email addresses from the header prior to uploading the message to the SMTP server. In the past, we relied on SMTP servers to remove the headers but more and more of them do not.
Why BCC Is Important
The most obvious reason for BCC is that you do not want to tell someone that some message is also sent to other individuals.
Here is another excellent reason for BCC - and you should spread the word!
Did you ever receive chain letters, or letters sent to a huge list of people? I have received a few with 5 sentences, and maybe 1000 lines full of addresses. What an annoying waste,especially when you're paying for the connection time!
This is where BCC comes in. The list of recipients is sent to the server first, separately from the body of the message. It is also removed from the actual body of the message before the body of the message is uploaded to the SMTP Server.
If the 1000 lines were in a BCC header, they would not show in the message at all!
Another reason is that, by including the names in the BCC header, you prevent the release of people's names and email addresses to be "harvested" by SPAMMERS. In other words, you provide some privacy protection to these people by not being the one to release their names and emails to others.
How To Implement BCC in Post/LX
In the addressing screen of Post/LX, press F2 (Add), then HEADER, and select BCC. In the BCC header, you can include the names and email addresses of recipients. In the TO: header I usually put my own email address, to get a copy of the message as others do.
If you do not have a BCC header you can easily add one on the fly. Notice that when you press F2 (Add), then HEADER, one of the entries in the pulldown menu is "<New Item>". Highlight it and press Enter. In the input box type "Bcc:" (omitting the quotes). Press Enter and you are done. Now press F2 (Add) again in the addressing screen, select the BCC header and one will appear among the headers in the top part of the screen.
Other Software Products at www.dasoft.com
There was a lot of discussion lately on the HPLX List about the use of the FIND utility program from DOS. There is a good alternative to FIND. FINDLX is a freeware program from Andreas Garzotto - see http://www. dasoft.com/FINDLX/findlx.html
Post/LX version 2.2g was released on 24 April 2000 - Details are available at http://www.dasoft.com/WWW /wv2.htm#news and download information is available at http:// www.dasoft.com/WWW/wv2.html#download
Quick/LX is now available at our Website. This is a "word completer" program with an unusual set of features such as macros and so on...
A new ROBOT/LX program was uploaded 15 May 2000. The program is now version 1.3. This version adds speed to display routines, accepts VT110 codes to position items on the screen and includes some programming conveniences etc. Stay tuned on this product!
A new version of SMS was released on 15 May 2000. The program is designed to better support phones where SMS messages may be stored on the SIM as well as in the phone memory. It also improves support for phones that can store a large number of SMS messages.
VOLT/LX is a small TSR, less than 2200 bytes
On June 21, 2000, D&A Software released VOLT/LX as copyrighted freeware. It is available for downloading on D&A Software's Webpage at http://www.dasoft.com.
VOLT/LX is a battery monitoring program for the HP 100/200/700 LX computers. It displays the voltage of the batteries in the area on the screen that normally would have the F1 key label. The actual functionality of the F1 key is unchanged. Usually this key is dedicated to raising Help screens.
VOLT/LX also accumulates the "time-on-battery" and can display it as alternate information in the same area on the screen.
VOLT/LX has long been the "little cousin" of ABC/LX, our program which monitors the status of the batteries, and turns on the charging process when the batteries fall below a user-selected voltage. ABC/LX then monitors the charging process until the batteries are fully charged, as determined by other user-selected parameters. ABC/LX keeps track of voltage, time-on-battery, and "user time" which counts the time the user is active on the keyboard.
VOLT/LX has fewer features, but it is a useful program if you only require a constant visual status reminder of the voltage or time on the battery. Unlike its "big cousin" ABC/LX, VOLT/LX does not intervene with charging in any way.
There are a limited number of printed User Guides, which were provided to customers who purchased this product in the past. If you are interested in this one page, two-sided printed manual, please send an email to info@dasoft.com for details.
D&A is announcing that we are preparing for the release of WWW/LX Version 3. We will release a new version of WWW.EXE - the TCP/IP Engine, a new version of Post/LX and a new client for Newsgroups, to replace NEWS2.EXE. The set of features and the last details are being finalized as of this writing. Please check our Webpage for the announcement and all the details.
If you have an interesting Tech Support item, email it to me at support@dasoft.com.