[CentOS] Complex sendmail alias handling

[John Summerfield]

Hugh E Cruickshank wrote:
> From: John Summerfield Sent: March 28, 2007 00:17
> 
>>John Summerfield wrote:
>>
>>>Hugh E Cruickshank wrote:
>>>
>>>>To be honest I am loathed to even attempt this. Outlook and it's
>>>>users
>>>>(mostly the later) already cause me too many problems.
>>>
>>>Tell 'em Lookout is well-named and recommend Thunderbird instead:-)
>>
>>How about imap plus Squirrelmail (web mail)?
>>
> 
> 
> The problem I have with that is amount of effort that will take to
> "sell", implement and support the solution. I can make recommendations
> but that does not mean that they will be automatically accepted. If
> I have to spend that much effort on what is essentially a "stop gap"
> measure until we implement a ticketing system I might as well spend
> the time on the final solution.
> 
> All I was really looking for was something that might ease the efforts
> I am currently expending to support the current "stop gap" measure. If
> that is not possible then I will have to live with things the way they
> are until we can proceed to the next level (i.e. a ticketing system).

imap plus sqirrelmail is a standard solution with official vendor 
support, to the exent that anything in CentOS has official vendor support:-)

It has benefits wider than just this application: I see email as 
official documents belonging to the organisation, and I believe the best 
pace to keep them is on the server. Imap does that.

Imap also allows users to read email from any computer: their office 
computer, their laptop, their home computer (subject to business policy, 
of course) using any imap-capable email client.

Squirrelmail covers for the case where a traditional email client is 
inappropriate, say from an Internet cafe, a friend's home, someone 
else's computer in another office.

When I set up user accounts, I create several standard folder son the 
server, one for suspected spam, one for email with possible sploitative 
attachments (eg office documents), and a few others. These are all on 
the server, and we do some preliminary sorting.



What you are proprosing is best characterised as a Crude Hack, 
unsupported except by yourselves, fragile and high-maintenance.

Present it to the decision-makers and see how you go.

Remember, when you want someone to make an unpalatable choice (not the 
case here), offer less palative alternatives.

I've seen three choices here:
1. Crude Hack.
2. Proper ticketting system
3. Imap email.

I suggest that the third is a good interim solution, your only 
(realistic) choice is the imap servers on your CentOS CD, and both have 
been tested to integrate with your other software. Same with 
Squirrelmail, it's on your CD.

The Crude Hack may require urgent changes whenever somone can't come in 
for a shift. The Imap service won't.

The Imap choice can be your standard email solution, and other groups 
might benefit from shared folders too - any groups that provide a 
service _as a group_ might. Accounts. HR. Our teachers. Policy.





-- 

Cheers
John

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