Thanks for your post on this thread:
Thanks for the encouragement.
From: Barry Wainwright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Mon, 05 Jul 2004 14:09:16 +0100
Subject: Re: Resource Temporarily Available. Huh?
On 3/7/04 12:35 am, "henryn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> One more thing: The Entourage error message offers me a chance to re-enter
> my password. I think someone has already mentioned on this list the
> confusion this can cause in cases where the cause really is a server overload
> and one’s password is still perfectly valid. If there’s any way Entourage
> can discriminate between a general unavailability of the server and a specific
> rejection of one’s password by the server, it really ought to do so. (Sorry
> if this issue has already been beaten to death...)
Keep beating it! I firmly believe that entourage needs to handle server
errors more gracefully (by NOT bouncing the dock icon for one!).
I don’t take a position on what Entourage should or should not do in terms of user notification; I think it should be possible for users to have a good range of options.
I’m worried more about hard data, especially as ISPs tend to dismiss user complaints about service interruptions. Sending in an “official” error log from Entourage might get more attention.
You can send feedback to the developers on this issue. Use the last menu
item under the 'Help' menu - "Send Feedback on Entourage". This message will
go directly to the developers. The more people that request this feature the
more likely it is to be implemented.
OK, here’s what I’ve just sent:
Entourage 2004. Obvious server errors --possibly simple overload-- prevent sending email(s). Entourage gives a generic error message and offers user a chance to re-enter the password. However, Entourage should _not_ suggest re-entering a password unless the server specifically rejected a password. Further, any warnings or errors reported by servers should be logged for reference -- it should not be necessary for users to use a TCP packet dump utility to figure out exactly what errors are occurring. Entourage clearly has this information, and it is just a matter of making it available. The logical place for this is the Entourage Error Log, which thus far seems strangely quiescent in the 2004 release. Ultimately, the Error Log should be something that can be exported cleanly to submit to ISPs, which hopefully will pay more attention to such "official" (and presumably much more detailed) reports as opposed to vague user complaints. ISP help desks should be able to say: "Please send us your Entourage Error Log for the last week," etc.Thanks,
Henry
[EMAIL PROTECTED] remove ‘zzz’
--
Barry Wainwright
Microsoft MVP (see http://mvp.support.microsoft.com for details)
Seen the All-New Entourage Help Pages? - Check them
