(OT) Yet another reason why OE sucks

[HVS]

Getting a mumble mumble bloody program whinge off my chest....

My sis-in-law is visiting from New Zealand, and I just spent an
hour or two trying to set up a remote download for her NZ email
account. She uses using Outlook Express on her laptop.

After a bit of faffing about, I established that she needed to
use her ISP's remote servers (rather than standard POP servers),
but what I didn't know was that she can't use the remote service,
as it's an add-on secure-system subscription that she doesn't
have.

That's all fair enough; no problem.

But when trying to log in to the (non-available) secure service,
OE just kept popping up with the login screen, over and over and
over again.

So I set the account up on my machine, using Thunderbird. Tried
to log in, and when that failed, Thunderbird immediately told me
that the server is returning the message that "pop operation is
not allowed for this user".

Which then led me to poke around the site, and to find out why it
wasn't allowed for that user.

So how come OE couldn't have been bright enough to report the
$&*!*^% server error message when it couldn't log in -- instead
of just stupidly re-presenting me with a log-in screen that
didn't work -- without any sort of comment or link to the error
message that would let me clear it up.

Stupid bloody program.

Harrumph.

 

[Mark Warner]

Getting a mumble mumble bloody program whinge off my chest....

My sis-in-law is visiting from New Zealand, and I just spent an
hour or two trying to set up a remote download for her NZ email
account. She uses using Outlook Express on her laptop.

After a bit of faffing about, I established that she needed to
use her ISP's remote servers (rather than standard POP servers),
but what I didn't know was that she can't use the remote service,
as it's an add-on secure-system subscription that she doesn't
have.

That's all fair enough; no problem.

But when trying to log in to the (non-available) secure service,
OE just kept popping up with the login screen, over and over and
over again.

So I set the account up on my machine, using Thunderbird. Tried
to log in, and when that failed, Thunderbird immediately told me
that the server is returning the message that "pop operation is
not allowed for this user".

Which then led me to poke around the site, and to find out why it
wasn't allowed for that user.

So how come OE couldn't have been bright enough to report the
$&*!*^% server error message when it couldn't log in -- instead
of just stupidly re-presenting me with a log-in screen that
didn't work -- without any sort of comment or link to the error
message that would let me clear it up.

Stupid bloody program.

Harrumph.

The program is supposed to be smarter than the user?

 

[Gill Bates]

Stupid bloody program.

It's not stupid and not bloody, and it's not a program.

Gill Bates

 

[Helium]

After a bit of faffing about, I established that she needed to
use her ISP's remote servers (rather than standard POP servers),
but what I didn't know was that she can't use the remote service,
as it's an add-on secure-system subscription that she doesn't
have.

Can she telnet to her ISP's server and then use PINE on their end?
If that is possible then she can get and send email.

So how come OE couldn't have been bright enough to report the
$&*!*^% server error message when it couldn't log in -- instead
of just stupidly re-presenting me with a log-in screen that
didn't work -- without any sort of comment or link to the error
message that would let me clear it up.

Stupid bloody program.

Expect very little from Microsoft - they think users
are stupid. MS doesn't want people poking around; they're
worried that people will delete dlls and make changes to the
OS are wrong/incorrect. he2

 

[badgolferman]

Getting a mumble mumble bloody program whinge off my chest....

My sis-in-law is visiting from New Zealand, and I just spent an
hour or two trying to set up a remote download for her NZ email
account. She uses using Outlook Express on her laptop.

After a bit of faffing about, I established that she needed to
use her ISP's remote servers (rather than standard POP servers),
but what I didn't know was that she can't use the remote service,
as it's an add-on secure-system subscription that she doesn't
have.

That's all fair enough; no problem.

But when trying to log in to the (non-available) secure service,
OE just kept popping up with the login screen, over and over and
over again.

So I set the account up on my machine, using Thunderbird. Tried
to log in, and when that failed, Thunderbird immediately told me
that the server is returning the message that "pop operation is
not allowed for this user".

Which then led me to poke around the site, and to find out why it
wasn't allowed for that user.

So how come OE couldn't have been bright enough to report the
$&*!*^% server error message when it couldn't log in -- instead
of just stupidly re-presenting me with a log-in screen that
didn't work -- without any sort of comment or link to the error
message that would let me clear it up.

Stupid bloody program.

Harrumph.

OE will give you an error message if you cancel the Logon screen. It
will be a window nearly as big as the screen.

Also, if you have Maintenance Logs enabled under Tools | Options you
could go directly to the log file in the messagebase folder and see
exactly what transpired between the client and the server.

 

[bambam]

Getting a mumble mumble bloody program whinge off my chest....

My sis-in-law is visiting from New Zealand, and I just spent an
hour or two trying to set up a remote download for her NZ email
account. She uses using Outlook Express on her laptop.

After a bit of faffing about, I established that she needed to
use her ISP's remote servers (rather than standard POP servers),
but what I didn't know was that she can't use the remote service,
as it's an add-on secure-system subscription that she doesn't
have.

Xtra, I presume? They are the only ISP in NZ that do this as far as I know.
The only way for her to view her email is via the webmail route-

http://xtramail.xtra.co.nz/

I hope you installed and setup Thunderbird for her.

 

[Rimmy]

some sh** canceled

It's not stupid, nor bloody. YOU are stupid and bloody. More detailed
information about why the connection failed is logged on the advanced tab
(if you cancel the prompt dialog). OK, for that, you need a minimum of
intelligence, which of course, you lack.

 

[HVS]

On 17 Apr 2006, bambam wrote

Xtra, I presume? They are the only ISP in NZ that do this as
far as I know. The only way for her to view her email is via
the webmail route-

Yeah, it was, and you're right -- I've got her using web-mail.
(Weaning her on to another e-mail client isn't really an option.)

 

[HVS]

On 17 Apr 2006, Mark Warner wrote

HVS wrote:
-snip-


The program is supposed to be smarter than the user?

Nah, but the program should report back what error message the
server is actually throwing back at it, so that the user can see if
it points to what the problem is.

Thunderbird did precisely that; OE didn't.

 

[Tim]

Can she telnet to her ISP's server and then use PINE on their end?
If that is possible then she can get and send email.

Very few people in the world would have the faintest idea what you're
talking about, and precious few of them would have any idea how to do
it... least of all sisters-in-law who need help to set up email
accounts.

 

[dadiOH]

So how come OE couldn't have been bright enough to report the
$&*!*^% server error message when it couldn't log in -- instead
of just stupidly re-presenting me with a log-in screen that
didn't work -- without any sort of comment or link to the error
message that would let me clear it up.

Because MS has *never* - in 25+ years - been able to write decent
manuals or include useful messages in anything...they vacillate between
unintelligible and dumbed down simplistic. IOW, they have a standard to
maintain.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

 

[Rimmy]

HVS wrote:

Because MS has *never* - in 25+ years - been able to write decent

Here we go again..... You genious.

 

[Al Klein]

Because MS has *never* - in 25+ years - been able to write decent
manuals or include useful messages in anything...they vacillate between
unintelligible and dumbed down simplistic. IOW, they have a standard to
maintain.

Ah!, but 26 years ago they produced manuals for their basic
interpreters that were done properly. Around that time, Gates must
have come to the realization that words cost money, and the manuals
became so terse that even the people writing them must have problems
understanding them.

 

[Helium]

Very few people in the world would have the faintest idea what you're
talking about, and precious few of them would have any idea how to do
it...

--

Tim, telnet/pine are simple - easy to use. Just do a google
search for both and you'll find plenty of info on using them.
Every window's box comes with telnet; it's been around for over
30 years. Use window's help for more info. regards, He2
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