Why do Apple Mail accounts go off-line spontaneously?
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From: Barry Margolin on 25 Nov 2009 16:10 In article <lloydparsons-3ED6F2.11442125112009(a)port80.individual.net>, Lloyd Parsons <lloydparsons(a)mac.com> wrote: > In article <tph-257AC7.09323725112009(a)localhost>, > Tom Harrington <tph(a)pcisys.no.spam.dammit.net> wrote: > > > In article <jollyroger-D09A83.08052325112009(a)news.individual.net>, > > Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > > > > > In article <1j9qa04.1qeu2bszq3pwkN%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > > > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > > > Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Often, I have a window pop up asking for my password for accounts > > > > > that > > > > > have gone off-line for no apparent reason. I just go to the Mailbox > > > > > menu > > > > > and put all accounts back on line without reentering a password. What > > > > > causes the account to go off-line? It usually happens when I have > > > > > used > > > > > another application and go back to Mail. > > > > > > > > It's usually caused by a server fault, Mail can't connect, so it goes > > > > offline. If you just cancel the dialogue it'll just reconnect later, or > > > > just click on the triangle to reconnect immediately. > > > > > > > > Yahoo is notoriously bad for this, and I see it going offline almost > > > > daily. > > > > > > It would be much better if Mail would simply give up and try again later > > > *without* changing the status though. > > > > I always advocated clicking "cancel" and trying again, but since Snow > > Leopard this doesn't seem to work as well. It's as if Mail has decided > > it doesn't know the password and won't try connecting again until I > > retype it. Has anyone else seen a change in this behavior with 10.6? > > The few times I've seen mobileme being down, mail just shows it offline > and never bitches about the password under Snow Leopard. That will happen if connecting to the server fails. The behavior we're talking about occurs if it successfully connects, but the server rejects the username and password. -- Barry Margolin, barmar(a)alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
From: Jolly Roger on 25 Nov 2009 20:13 In article <barmar-91C69D.16092025112009(a)news.eternal-september.org>, Barry Margolin <barmar(a)alum.mit.edu> wrote: > In article <jollyroger-D09A83.08052325112009(a)news.individual.net>, > Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > > > In article <1j9qa04.1qeu2bszq3pwkN%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > > > > > Often, I have a window pop up asking for my password for accounts that > > > > have gone off-line for no apparent reason. I just go to the Mailbox menu > > > > and put all accounts back on line without reentering a password. What > > > > causes the account to go off-line? It usually happens when I have used > > > > another application and go back to Mail. > > > > > > It's usually caused by a server fault, Mail can't connect, so it goes > > > offline. If you just cancel the dialogue it'll just reconnect later, or > > > just click on the triangle to reconnect immediately. > > > > > > Yahoo is notoriously bad for this, and I see it going offline almost > > > daily. > > > > It would be much better if Mail would simply give up and try again later > > *without* changing the status though. > > But it can't tell that the problem is the server, not the > username/password. The POP3 protocol doesn't distinguish different > types of errors, it just sends back a generic "-ERR" response. It has > some text along with it that's suitable for users, but isn't > standardized, so applications can't depend on it (although someone could > collect and classify the messages from popular POP servers). So? If it encounters an issue, it should be smart enough not to force the user to go out of their way to take accounts back online - especially considering how often this type of thing happens with email servers, and the nature of the way most people interface with them on a repeated basis. Ask yourself why are other email clients able to encounter such errors without taking all accounts offline, forcing you to manually enable them again before you can check mail. -- Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me. E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM filter. Due to Google's refusal to prevent spammers from posting messages through their servers, I often ignore posts from Google Groups. Use a real news client if you want me to see your posts. JR
From: Jolly Roger on 25 Nov 2009 20:14 In article <tph-257AC7.09323725112009(a)localhost>, Tom Harrington <tph(a)pcisys.no.spam.dammit.net> wrote: > In article <jollyroger-D09A83.08052325112009(a)news.individual.net>, > Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > > > In article <1j9qa04.1qeu2bszq3pwkN%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > > > > > Often, I have a window pop up asking for my password for accounts that > > > > have gone off-line for no apparent reason. I just go to the Mailbox menu > > > > and put all accounts back on line without reentering a password. What > > > > causes the account to go off-line? It usually happens when I have used > > > > another application and go back to Mail. > > > > > > It's usually caused by a server fault, Mail can't connect, so it goes > > > offline. If you just cancel the dialogue it'll just reconnect later, or > > > just click on the triangle to reconnect immediately. > > > > > > Yahoo is notoriously bad for this, and I see it going offline almost > > > daily. > > > > It would be much better if Mail would simply give up and try again later > > *without* changing the status though. > > I always advocated clicking "cancel" and trying again, but since Snow > Leopard this doesn't seem to work as well. It's as if Mail has decided > it doesn't know the password and won't try connecting again until I > retype it. Has anyone else seen a change in this behavior with 10.6? On my machine, Mail typically takes the offending account offline, refusing to check email for that account again until i manually right-click it and take it back online. It's quite irritating to have to do that a few times a week! -- Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me. E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM filter. Due to Google's refusal to prevent spammers from posting messages through their servers, I often ignore posts from Google Groups. Use a real news client if you want me to see your posts. JR
From: Jolly Roger on 25 Nov 2009 20:15 In article <barmar-2B8A52.16102025112009(a)news.eternal-september.org>, Barry Margolin <barmar(a)alum.mit.edu> wrote: > In article <lloydparsons-3ED6F2.11442125112009(a)port80.individual.net>, > Lloyd Parsons <lloydparsons(a)mac.com> wrote: > > > In article <tph-257AC7.09323725112009(a)localhost>, > > Tom Harrington <tph(a)pcisys.no.spam.dammit.net> wrote: > > > > > In article <jollyroger-D09A83.08052325112009(a)news.individual.net>, > > > Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > > > > > > > In article <1j9qa04.1qeu2bszq3pwkN%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > > > > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > > > > > Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Often, I have a window pop up asking for my password for accounts > > > > > > that > > > > > > have gone off-line for no apparent reason. I just go to the Mailbox > > > > > > menu > > > > > > and put all accounts back on line without reentering a password. > > > > > > What > > > > > > causes the account to go off-line? It usually happens when I have > > > > > > used > > > > > > another application and go back to Mail. > > > > > > > > > > It's usually caused by a server fault, Mail can't connect, so it goes > > > > > offline. If you just cancel the dialogue it'll just reconnect later, > > > > > or > > > > > just click on the triangle to reconnect immediately. > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo is notoriously bad for this, and I see it going offline almost > > > > > daily. > > > > > > > > It would be much better if Mail would simply give up and try again > > > > later > > > > *without* changing the status though. > > > > > > I always advocated clicking "cancel" and trying again, but since Snow > > > Leopard this doesn't seem to work as well. It's as if Mail has decided > > > it doesn't know the password and won't try connecting again until I > > > retype it. Has anyone else seen a change in this behavior with 10.6? > > > > The few times I've seen mobileme being down, mail just shows it offline > > and never bitches about the password under Snow Leopard. > > That will happen if connecting to the server fails. The behavior we're > talking about occurs if it successfully connects, but the server rejects > the username and password. Actually, the OP and I are talking about what happens if the connection fails. -- Send responses to the relevant news group rather than email to me. E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my very hungry SPAM filter. Due to Google's refusal to prevent spammers from posting messages through their servers, I often ignore posts from Google Groups. Use a real news client if you want me to see your posts. JR
From: Barry Margolin on 25 Nov 2009 23:46
In article <jollyroger-7A811D.19151725112009(a)news.individual.net>, Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > In article <barmar-2B8A52.16102025112009(a)news.eternal-september.org>, > Barry Margolin <barmar(a)alum.mit.edu> wrote: > > > In article <lloydparsons-3ED6F2.11442125112009(a)port80.individual.net>, > > Lloyd Parsons <lloydparsons(a)mac.com> wrote: > > > > > In article <tph-257AC7.09323725112009(a)localhost>, > > > Tom Harrington <tph(a)pcisys.no.spam.dammit.net> wrote: > > > > > > > In article <jollyroger-D09A83.08052325112009(a)news.individual.net>, > > > > Jolly Roger <jollyroger(a)pobox.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > In article <1j9qa04.1qeu2bszq3pwkN%thewildrover(a)me.com>, > > > > > thewildrover(a)me.com (Andy Hewitt) wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Salmon Egg <SalmonEgg(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Often, I have a window pop up asking for my password for accounts > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > have gone off-line for no apparent reason. I just go to the > > > > > > > Mailbox > > > > > > > menu > > > > > > > and put all accounts back on line without reentering a password. > > > > > > > What > > > > > > > causes the account to go off-line? It usually happens when I have > > > > > > > used > > > > > > > another application and go back to Mail. > > > > > > > > > > > > It's usually caused by a server fault, Mail can't connect, so it > > > > > > goes > > > > > > offline. If you just cancel the dialogue it'll just reconnect > > > > > > later, > > > > > > or > > > > > > just click on the triangle to reconnect immediately. > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo is notoriously bad for this, and I see it going offline > > > > > > almost > > > > > > daily. > > > > > > > > > > It would be much better if Mail would simply give up and try again > > > > > later > > > > > *without* changing the status though. > > > > > > > > I always advocated clicking "cancel" and trying again, but since Snow > > > > Leopard this doesn't seem to work as well. It's as if Mail has decided > > > > it doesn't know the password and won't try connecting again until I > > > > retype it. Has anyone else seen a change in this behavior with 10.6? > > > > > > The few times I've seen mobileme being down, mail just shows it offline > > > and never bitches about the password under Snow Leopard. > > > > That will happen if connecting to the server fails. The behavior we're > > talking about occurs if it successfully connects, but the server rejects > > the username and password. > > Actually, the OP and I are talking about what happens if the connection > fails. I've never seen it ask for the password when that happens. In that case it just marks the account offline with, I think with a triangle with "!" in it. It only asks for a new password if the connection succeeds and login fails. -- Barry Margolin, barmar(a)alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group *** |