Customer Reviews

Internet e-mail Protocols, Standards and Implementation (Artech House Telecommunications Library)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

My initial complaint, which I realized within the first chapter, is that the author is *extremely* biased towards WinNT, not simply ignoring other platforms, but actually taking several pages to explain why they should all be ignored. He claims that Apple doesn't let programmers write compatible software and will sue those who try, and that the single newline character used on UNIX systems is an anachronism from when computers didn't have enough memory for the more correct CR LF sequence. (The first of which is clearly absurd and the second of which is directly contradictory to the universally accepted truth that CRLF is a holdover from teletype days.) This seems very strange since internet email is almost by definition a cross-platform (or even UNIX-specific) venture; and the newline comment is extremely worrying since this is a major issue in email which the author completely ignores.

Even for NT-specific programming this book doesn't seem useful. The author includes incredibly rudimentary material (including a section on how binary works and what bits are) yet jumps straight to rather sophisticated constructs with no explanation of those construts at all: I fear neither novice users nor experienced programmers would like this book.

The section on domain names consists of nothing more than instructions on configuring one specific WinNT DNS server. The protocol explanations include ridiculous side notes ("now is the time to clear your input buffers") which are clearly specific to the one product the authors claims to have written, yet not a single line of code appears in the book.

This book could at best have a been a decent compilation of RFC's, but the protocols are not detailed completely and there are multiple blatant errors. Any time saved by using this book instead of scrounging the internet will be lost ten times over in debugging time.

This is the first book I've ever returned to Amazon, and is the last one I will ever buy from this publisher.

I had to implement a POP-3 mail client and this book saved my life.

The material in the book is overly oriented towards NT and you have to take with a grain of salt its NT bias. Its technical content however is superb. The mail protocols it describes work on UNIX without change. The one thing you have to watch out for is the different circumstances under which NT and UNIX produce "\r".

The well organized CD is in and of itself worth the price of the book. The book gave me a tutorial which explained what I needed to do. The CD gave me the details.

I am an experienced programmer and I'm not sure this book will help beginners though for beginners it has very useful glossaries.

Hughes has written an excellent book. He explains the protocols and standards extremely well. Which is the diamond of this book. (i.e. why you should buy it.) But the implementation illustrations are mostly Windows NT with a mention of a UNIX counter part. He even explains how to install Microsoft DNS and Proxy. The NT explanation is like a double edged sword. If you know *NIX, all you will need is the P+S. Hughes points out how M$ has gone of the track of the standards and screwed up. (like how Exchange is a single file message store mail server incompatible with POP3 and SNMP) The cd-rom has the RFC documents created by the IETF. If you are looking for a book that explains the ins and outs of Internet e-mail without missing a pin-drop, this is the book for you. All the best!

I found the book fairly rudimentary but useful as an introduction to the components that make up the email system. The major disappointment arises from its NT-bias, as if the author was commissioned by Microsoft for the book's creation. I wish more authors can keep their personal biased opinions to their dinner tables and out of professional technical books. Phrases such as "NT is such a fine platform for developing commercial-grade systems" and "even that final refuge of UNIX should fall within a couple of years" simply do not conjure up impressions of objective professional writing. Sadly, I must add this sort of self-righteous writing is what contributes to the anti-Microsoft sentiments.

I highly recommend this book. I've read many technical books in my day and I would rank this as one of the best. The author thoroughly explains basic and advanced concepts in a very clear and concise manner. Much of the material could potentially be acquired for free via the net (i.e. rfcs, white papers, etc.), but you'll save yourself a lot of time by reading this book. The author also makes recommendations, points out things to watch out for and discusses likely directions for the futre. My only complaint is the high price, but I would say the book is well worth it. Having worked on e-mail related products for years now, I wish I had read this book a long time ago.

I prefer the books from john rhoton but this book also include a very good description of theory of email. Very much content.

I'm a student so I want to looking for a technique a about JavaMail. If you can give me a book for free, I only use it for research. Thank you and look forward from you.