 |
|
:
: Why do you need a back up email address? : :
:
: Understanding Mail Delivery Errors : :
:
: Guidelines For Effective Email Communication
: :
Why do
you need a back up email address?
If you have one email address to send and receive
email, we advise you to add an email as a back
up address in case something went wrong with your
primary email address.
There are so many factors that can affect your
regular email system with your ISP such as Spam
attacks, overwhelming traffic, human error, server
down etc. These periods of more or less hastened
activity at your ISP may last only for minutes,
but they can extend to several days. Whatever
the longevity of the outage, in any case you can
usually neither send nor receive any email.
This is where you, equipped with your free Web-based
account, can step in. The web based email provider
are such as www.yahoo.com,
www.hotmail.com,
www.incredimail.com
and many more.
If you would notice, at Digitalgraphix Factory
we have set up three accounts with three different
ISPs. They are digital@inet.co.th,
digitalgraph@mweb.co.th
and digital@digitalgraphixfactory.com
If you send one particular order to the three
addresses, even if one ISP is not working, we
can always receive thru the other two. So your
orders are not going to be missed.
So in your case, if you have two email addresses,
when we send you the confirmation or order delivery,
you will always receive them even though one of
your ISPs is down.
Setting up your account with yahoo, hotmail, incredimail
etc is easy and it is free. You do not have to
pay anything. You may not need to check your web-based
email regularly. Two times a week would be enough,
but it's nice knowing that you have a backup just
in case something happens to your regular email
system.
Understanding
Mail Delivery Errors
If you send an e-mail that for some reason can't
be delivered, either your ISP or the mail server
where the error occurred sends a mail delivery
error report back to you. Some of these error
reports are pretty cryptic, so you may be wondering
why your email bounces back and what the delivery
error report means.
Let's look at some of the most common mail delivery
error reports and try to decipher what they mean.
Almost all mail delivery error reports begin with
something like the following:
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
That tells you that your mail to the specified
address could not be delivered. It may also tell
you whether the error is a "permanent fatal error"
(one which makes it impossible to deliver the
message) or a "transient non-fatal error" (just
a temporary setback, and the mail server will
keep trying).
A more complete description of the problem is
usually next, in a section labeled "Transcript
of session follows". Below are the more common
ones, each followed by an explanation. These are
taken from actual delivery error reports, but
the usernames have all been changed to "jdoe"
to protect the privacy of the actual addressee.
The examples below are all mail delivery error
reports generated by Sendmail, the predominant
mail server software on the Internet. Error reports
generated by other mail server software (QMail,
Postfix, Microsoft Exchange, or whatever) may
look different, but will contain the same basic
information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
User
Unknown
Host
Unknown
Mail
Quota Exceeded
Message
Exceeds Maximum Size
Delivery
Deferred, Will Keep Trying
Message
Could Not Be Delivered For 5 Days
Sender
Domain Not Found
Possible
Virus
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
User Unknown
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
(reason: 550 5.1.1 <SBEMIS1@ReceiverISP.COM>...
User unknown)
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mx-rr.ReceiverISP.com.:
>>> RCPT To:<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
<<< 550 5.1.1 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>...
User unknown
550 5.1.1 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... User
unknown
Instead of "user unknown", you might see "unknown
user", "invalid recipient", "not a valid user",
"mailbox unavailable", "not known here" or something
else expressing the same idea.
In this example one mail server tried to deliver
the message to the mail server at home.com, but
the home.com mail server refused to accept it
because they have no user known as "jdoe". This
could be because the username part of the address
(jdoe) was typed incorrectly, or because the "jdoe"
account at home.com expired or was cancelled,
or because you were trying to reply to a message
sent out under a falsified address. In rare cases
it can indicate a mail system failure at the remote
site.
What you should do:
Confirm the intended recipient's address, if possible.
Resend your message to the corrected address.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Host Unknown
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
550 5.1.2 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>... Host
unknown (Name server:
mail.ReceiverISP.net.: host not found)
This means that the mail server was not able to
locate the mail server for switchgrass.net (mail.switchgrass.net)
in the Internet's domain name service (DNS). If
the target system can't be found in the DNS, then
our mail server can't connect to the remote mail
server to deliver your message.
Most "host unknown" errors are caused by a typo
in the domain name part of the intended recipient's
address, but an increasing number of "host unknown"
errors are the result of trying to reply to junk
mail (spam). This is because the "From:" address
on junk mail is almost always bogus. Where the
address is typed correctly and is a real one,
the problem is usually a temporary failure in
DNS.
What you should do:
Confirm the intended recipient's address, if possible.
Resend your message to the corrected address.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail Quota Exceeded
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to c.mx.ReceiverISP.com.:
>>> RCPT To:<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
<<< 552 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>...
Mail quota exceeded
554 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... Service unavailable
Many systems impose a quota on the amount of disk
space each user's mail box may use. If a user
on such a system exceeds his quota the mail system
refuses to accept any more mail for him.
What you should do:
Give the intended recipient time to clean out
his/her mailbox, then resend your message.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message Exceeds Maximum Size
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
(reason: 552 5.2.3 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>...
Message size exceeds fixed
maximum message size (80000))
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to response.ReceiverISP.com.:
>>> MAIL From:<JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>
SIZE=222751
<<< 552 5.2.3 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>...
Message size exceeds fixed maximum message size
(80000)
554 5.0.0 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... Service
unavailable
On many systems the mail server is configured
to reject large messages. In the past this was
usually done to conserve disk space on the mail
server. These days, with an increasing number
of maturity-challenged Internet users thinking
it is "kewl" to clog up other people's mailboxes
with huge junk file attachments, it is often used
to prevent users' mailboxes from overflowing their
quotas due to stupid childish pranks.
The number in parentheses (80000 in this example)
is not always present, but if it is it shows the
per-message size limit imposed by the remote mail
system, expressed in bytes.
What you should do:
The only solution is to shorten the message and
try again. In many cases this means deleting the
multi-megabyte file attachment you're trying to
send to someone who probably doesn't want it anyway.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivery Deferred, Will Keep Trying
**********************************************
** THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY **
** YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE **
**********************************************
----- The following addresses had transient non-fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... Deferred: Connection
refused by ReceiverISP.com.
Warning: message still undelivered after 4 hours
Will keep trying until message is 5 days old
If you see a banner similar to this at the top
of a mail delivery error report, it means delivery
of your message failed due to a transient (temporary)
error. The actual error could be any of a number
of things.
What you should do:
Do nothing! The banner means EXACTLY what it says:
you DO NOT need to resend your message. The mail
system will keep trying once per hour until delivery
succeeds or until five days elapse, which ever
happens first. If after five days the message
still can't be delivered, you'll get another error
message like the following example.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message Could Not Be Delivered For Five
Days
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... Deferred: Connection
refused by ReceiverISP.com.
Message could not be delivered for 5 days
Message will be deleted from queue
The mail server kept trying once an hour for five
days but was still unable to deliver the message,
so it gave up trying.
What you should do:
Write a letter, make a phone call, send a FAX.
You can resend your e-mail if you want to, but
if the intended recipient's mail server couldn't
be reached for five days on the first attempt,
it probably won't be reachable on the second attempt.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sender Domain Not Found
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to b.mx.ReceiverISP.com.:
>>> MAIL From:<JDOE@SenderIPS.NET>
<<< 550 <JDOE@SenderIPS.NET>...
Sender domain not found in DNS
550 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.COM>... Service unavailable
In an attempt to stem the flow of spam e-mail
into their systems, many mail systems reject messages
where the domain name part of the sender's address
(the part after the "@") cannot be found in the
DNS. This is effective against some spam because
spammers often send out their mass mailings under
phony addresses.
However it also turns away messages from legitimate
senders whose e-mail addresses are incorrectly
entered in their mail programs. In the example
above SenderISP.NET customer "jdoe" tried to send
a message to jdoe@ReceiverISP.com. However, SenderISP.NET
John Doe mistyped the domain name part of his
address as "SenderIPS.NET " instead of "SenderISP.NET
"when he set up his mail program. The ReceiverISP
mail system couldn't find a domain called " SenderIPS.NET
" in the DNS, so it rejected the message.
What you should do:
Go into your mail program's setup and make sure
your e-mail address is entered correctly, and
then resend your message.
Back
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Possible Virus
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal
errors -----
<JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>
(reason: 553 5.0.0 Possible virus, see
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sircam.worm@mm.html)
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to ndmls01.ReceiverISP.net.:
>>> DATA
<<< 553 5.0.0 Possible virus, see
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sircam.worm@mm.html
554 5.0.0 <JDOE@ReceiverISP.NET>... Service
unavailable
Some mail systems filter out messages that seem
to contain viruses. If you receive a delivery
error message similar to the one above, it may
mean your PC has a virus infection and may be
sending out virus-infected e-mail.
What you should do:
Check your computer for virus infections, and
remove any that are found. recommends All PCs
with Internet connections should have anti-virus
software installed. If you already have anti-virus
software, make sure you know how to use it, make
sure it is configured to scan files as they are
downloaded, and make sure you keep its virus description
database up to date.
Back
Guidelines
For Effective Email Communication:
Email is the most popular Internet application.
Over 400 million email boxes exist worldwide.
84 per cent of Internet users use email.
A recent report estimated that over 7 trillion
emails were sent worldwide last year! Spam messages
are jamming in-boxes across the globe and the
average office worker now gets between 60-200
messages a day.
So, with that background, it makes sense that
you need to use email effectively, not only to
save you time but also to ensure that your messages
get read by your audience correctly.
The lack of visual, auditory or physical cues
can lead to miscommunication, and as people perceive
email as being more like speech than writing there
is a greater potential for communication breakdown.
Email is also seen as not being very suitable
for conveying very complex information or information
that could be misinterpreted.
Meaning can be lost when emails are:
Too brief or abbreviated
Too longwinded
Miscommunication can happen when the sender makes
incorrect or inappropriate assumptions, i.e. when
the email refers to previous email history that
has not been forwarded on or to a conversation
that has not directly been referred to.
The following are hints on what to do and what
not to do when using e-mail.
BE CONCISE
E-mail is meant to be one of the quickest ways
to communicate. It is much more informal than
a letter or even phone call. Some people receive
hundreds of e-mails a day, so keep e-mail short
and to the point. But be aware -rushed
messages can lead to bad grammar and miscommunication.
Consider using bulleted points to clearly express
your thoughts. You'll save time and your reader
will appreciate it. Investing extra time while
authoring an email pays big dividends by giving
your reader a clear understanding of your message.
Useful Subject Lines
A subject line that pertains clearly to the email
body will help people mentally shift to the proper
context before they read your message. The subject
line should be brief , does not need to be a complete
sentence, and should give a clue to the contents
of the message.
USE THREADS
Threads are a series of responses to an original
message. When responding to a message, pursue
the thread by replying to the messages instead
of starting an entirely new message. Keeping the
thread information together makes it easier for
the participants to follow the chain of information
that has been exchanged. This is most appreciated
when responding to a newsgroup or a list serve,
which may have multiple discussions occurring
simultaneously.
Practice the 24-hour rule when you're
upset
It's never a good idea to send an email when you're
angry. We've all been guilty of this. In the heat
of the moment we type up a literary bombast. If
you compose an email in anger, wait a predetermined
period of time before sending it. If your emotions
are legit, then your issue will still be there
tomorrow. But in 95% of the cases, you'll be glad
you waited and toned things down after you've
gain the perspective that can only come with some
additional time.
Answer your email quickly
Recent surveys have shown that a large percentage
of email messages either go unanswered or are
not responded to timely. Take advantage of this
inherent competitive edge you can get. What do
you think when someone doesn't respond to your
phone messages? It's no different with email.
Attachments
If you are planning to send the attachment, make
sure that it is the correct one that corresponds
to the email message that you are sending. Wrong
attachment leads to wrong understanding.
Use proper naming conventions and file extensions
to identify your documents. Within your e-mail
messages, clearly specify that there is an attachment
with its proper file name, application software
version, content description and size of the attached
file so the recipient can make an immediate judgment
as to what will be required to view the file.
Thanks for reading!
Digitalgraphix Factory Team
|
|
|
