Mail Sending Limits?

[Tommy]

I've been having trouble with my cable modem ISP's SMTP server for several weeks so I've been using my SpamCop webmail account for sending messages. (Through the magic of IMAP I can use my email client to compose the messages, transfer them to the "Drafts" folder, and send from there.)

HOWEVER I need to send our monthly email announcement to our computer user's group -- 323 names -- and I can't find anything here saying whether there's a limit. Will even attempting this get me kicked off the email service? (I realize that the webmail client itself may choke on a "bcc" field with 300+ names in it...)

Can anyone advise me before I make a big mistake? I sure don't want to step on any toes.

[StevenUnderwood]

I would contact the admin of the mail server (JT) directly on this issue so he can address any concerns he has directly. My feeling is that this will be a problem due to webmail constraints, but he should really answer directly.

The address is support<at>spamcop.net

[dbiel]

Good question. I have not seen that addressed anywhere before.

Please post the anwser you get so it can be added to the FAQ

[Wazoo]

I'm actually more curious about the continued use of an ISP that "has had problems with their SMTP for several weeks" .... I'm thinking that there must be a "story" behind this ...

[Tommy]

I'm actually more curious about the continued use of an ISP that "has had problems with their SMTP for several weeks" ....  I'm thinking that there must be a "story" behind this ...

17046[/snapback]

There's very little story involved, except my own stubbornness, I suppose. My primary machine is a G3 Powerbook (too old to run OS X) running Eudora 6 (not the latest version), and the ISP doesn't support Eudora. Almost two weeks ago the ISP had a server problem that broke the alternate port SSL authentication from Eudora to their SMTP server. Based on their comments at the time I assumed they would be replacing the broken server, but "it's not a problem for anyone else" so I've given up complaining.

I quit using my ISP's POP account years ago, and I moved the other people's accounts I manage to fastmail.fm, which has been satisfactory to them. I have not heard from support <at> spamcop.net so I may "borrow" a fastmail smtp if it looks like spamcop's won't work.

As soon as I'm through with my current projects I plan to migrate all my email from Eudora 6 to something like Thunderbird. (I have two old PCs and an old Mac running Debian linux. The new Mac isn't mine so I just get to play with it when nobody else is around.)

In the meantime I have been moderately happy with SpamCop webmail. It's not perfect (fastmail has some features I'd like to see here, like mail filters that work even when you aren't logged in) but it works.

OH and why do I stick with this sucky ISP? It's cable modem (so it's fast) and until they raise the rates it's cheap ($24/mo), AND the phone company isn't certain whether I can even use DSL on my 1972 vintage phone lines.

[Tommy]

Please post the anwser you get so it can be added to the FAQ

17045[/snapback]

I JUST received the official answer: "There's no specific limit, but I honestly don't know what the limit for webmail is."

So I will try it and I'll report back here.

UPDATE I just sent the message. I immediately got a bounce (bad address) plus the two copies I expected to be addressed to me, so I guess the little BCC field CAN accept and use 300+ email addresses.

I don't know whether this is something SpamCop would want to encourage -- personally I'm expecting to get another SMTP option before this comes up again.