news server + mail server

Could you pleas answer on my very simple questions?

1. What for one need mail server?
I know that mail server distributes files in response to requests sent
via e-mail. However, I cannot understand why user's computers cannot
exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.

2. What for one need many news servers?
There is only one USENET. So it seams that one need only one news
server to collect and sent messages in response to programs for
browsing news groups.

3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of
Yahoo, one need to have personal mail server?

On 2004-10-25, Kurda Yon <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I know that mail server distributes files in response to requests sent

No, they distribure MAIL, not "files".

> exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.

O, they can. Never heard of P2P? Problem is, what you do when
the other computer is switched off? Like a phone call, they have to be
both on and both willing to talk, while with mail, you can send your
message and then wait for the answer. But if you want to EXCHANGE FILES,
you'd better use an FTP server.

> There is only one USENET. So it seams that one need only one news

So, one server to support... how many? billions of users? Like to say,
we have ONE NEED FOR FOOD, so let's say that only ONE FARMER is going
to produce all the food...

> 3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of

"suggest" ?

Davide

--
I've gone through over-stressed to physical exhaustion... what's next?
Tuesday
--Simon Burr & Kyle Hearn

Kurda Yon wrote:

> 1. What for one need mail server?
> I know that mail server distributes files in response to requests sent
> via e-mail.

Not quite - mail servers send or receive mail messages in response to
requests from their users (sending) or other mail servers (receiving).

> However, I cannot understand why user's computers cannot
> exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.

If you mean why couldn't users' computers exchange mail directly, the answer
is that they can (and like many users, I do). But it requires users to be
on-line at all times, something that may be practical for broadband users
but often is not feasible for dial-up. That's part of the reason ISP's
provide that service.

There are also issues of domain name and DNS registration which may not be
feasible for many users.

And the major problem that larger numbers of user mail servers would create
is that of proper configuration to ensure that the servers cannot be used
by unauthorised parties for spam relay.

>
> 2. What for one need many news servers?
> There is only one USENET. So it seams that one need only one news
> server to collect and sent messages in response to programs for
> browsing news groups.

Usenet is one of the oldest protocols - dating back to a period when net
communication was much slower than today. Such extensive use of local ISP
news servers was presumably essential then.

I'm inclined to agree that there are now far too many news servers and that
a concerted rationalisation would improve the quality of news-feed.

It would never be as severe as you suggest (down to one) but there is
considerable scope for reduction. Issues of data costs and peering
arrangements would need to be worked through though.

> 3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of
> Yahoo, one need to have personal mail server?

No. Just a web browser.

--
Roger Brown
(E-Mail Removed)
http://rogerbrown.no-ip.org

In comp.os.linux.networking Kurda Yon <(E-Mail Removed)>:
> Could you pleas answer on my very simple questions?

I'll try.

> 1. What for one need mail server?
> I know that mail server distributes files in response to requests sent
> via e-mail. However, I cannot understand why user's computers cannot
> exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.

What if the person you'd like to send a mail has his computer
turned off?

Try this to understand how email basically works:

http://www.sendmail.org/email-explained.html


> 2. What for one need many news servers?
> There is only one USENET. So it seams that one need only one news
> server to collect and sent messages in response to programs for
> browsing news groups.

You are sure you understand how many ngs and daily messages there
are, the load wouldn't be handle-able with a single server,
despite if it smokes away, no usenet for anyone, rather bad idea.

> 3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of
> Yahoo, one need to have personal mail server?

??

Unsure if this was an attempt to troll us...

--
Michael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: 0xEDD27B94)
mail: echo (E-Mail Removed) | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/'
#bofh excuse 321: Scheduled global CPU outage

> > exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.
> O, they can. Never heard of P2P?
OK. I never hear of P2P. I found that, it is electronic file swapping
systems that allow users to share files, computing capabilities,
networks, bandwidth and storage. It is interesting whether there are
any program based on P2P which has interface similar to usual e-mail
programs?

> Problem is, what you do when
> the other computer is switched off?
The same as in the case of ICQ.

> But if you want to EXCHANGE FILES,
> you'd better use an FTP server.
No, I want to exchange mails.

> > There is only one USENET. So it seams that one need only one news
> So, one server to support... how many? billions of users?
My problem is that I cannot understand why we have only one usenet in
spite of existence of many news servers. Each news server contains
personal messages... Or may be news servers exchanges by their
messages?

> > 3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of
> "suggest" ?
Using yahoo, I can create my personal mail box. I would like to create
web site where user can obtain personal mail boxes (like in yahoo), do
I need to have mail server?

On 2004-10-25, Kurda Yon <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> any program based on P2P which has interface similar to usual e-mail
> programs?

No idea what you mean by "usual e-mail", there are many P2P software
around, pick one you like.

> My problem is that I cannot understand why we have only one usenet in
> spite of existence of many news servers.

Usenet is defined as "the collection of news servers and newsgroups".
You can decide to install your own news server that doesn't belongs to
usenet, with your own newgroups that doesn't talk with other news
servers and only support your users.

> Using yahoo, I can create my personal mail box. I would like to create
> web site where user can obtain personal mail boxes (like in yahoo), do
> I need to have mail server?

Yes, and a web server and a suitable web interface between the two.
Davide

--
Tip of the day:
The Windows 95 CD-ROM makes an excellent skeet shoot target.

> > However, I cannot understand why user's computers cannot
> > exchange files directly, without intermediate computer.
> If you mean why couldn't users' computers exchange mail directly, the answer
> is that they can (and like many users, I do).
> There are also issues of domain name and DNS registration which may not be
> feasible for many users.
Does this "DNS registration" define your e-mail adress? Does one need
to pay for this registration?


> > 2. What for one need many news servers?
The first user send message to the first news server, second user do
to the second one. However, we have one Usenet. It seams that there is
only one place where all massages from Usenet are saved, or may be
there are many places where the same Usenet are copied? Do news
servers exchange massages?

> > 3. It is correct, that in order to suggest mail service like one of
> > Yahoo, one need to have personal mail server?
I do not want to use yaho mail box, I want to create web site like
yahoo where users can get their personal mail box. Do I need to have
mail server?

Kurda Yon wrote:

> Does this "DNS registration" define your e-mail address? Does one need
> to pay for this registration?

There are several issues. First you need a domain name - that has to be paid
for although you can use a free service like http://www.no-ip.com/ which
will provide a free sub domain name such as the one in my signature.

Then you need to keep the DNS system up to date with your IP which may
change if your ISP uses dynamic IP's. A service like no-ip does that for
you as well - free.

Then for proper bullet proof mail receipt you need some sort of back up if
you are offline - the DNS system should have a record of what back up mail
server should be tried if your server can't be reached (MX record). A
service like no-ip will do that as well but it is a paid service - though
relatively inexpensive.

Have a look at the site - and there are a number of other similar services.

> I do not want to use yahoo mail box, I want to create web site like
> yahoo where users can get their personal mail box. Do I need to have
> mail server?

Yes and you might also look at something like http://www.squirrelmail.org/


--
Roger Brown
(E-Mail Removed)
http://rogerbrown.no-ip.org

On 25 Oct 2004 07:44:05 -0700, Kurda Yon <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Do news servers exchange massages?
Yeah. You rub my back, I rub yours.

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 09:29:53 +0000, Davide Bianchi wrote:
> On 2004-10-25, Kurda Yon <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> I know that mail server distributes files in response to requests sent
>
> No, they distribure MAIL, not "files".

Unless the OP is referring to "list servers" (if that is/was the correct
name?). I recall using something like that about 10 years ago, on some
kind of bulletin board system(s). They would send out big files as a
sequence of numbered mail attachments. PITA. These days with http and ftp
servers on the internet (no dial-up required) I cannot see the point. FWIW

--
Juhan Leemet
Logicognosis, Inc.