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The process of delivering the internet by trucks is quite laughable, yet SMTP is the perfect protocol for that: Mail can hop from server to server until it find

The process of delivering the internet by trucks is quite laughable, yet SMTP is the perfect protocol for that: Mail can hop from server to server until it finds the right one, as opposed to now where SMTP hosts like Gmail only accepts mail sent from or to a Gmail account.

aidos 5y ago
Can you explain what you mean about gmail?
- xyzzy_plugh 5y ago
  Classically SMTP let you "relay" mail that neither originated or is destined for the specific server. Gmail, and most modern SMTP servers, only permit mail from or to a Gmail address/their primary domain. Edit: added clarification that all SMTP servers do not only permit Gmail addresses...
  - labawi 5y ago
    Is this sarcasm? As the gmail part is completely false. Relaying used to be a thing, before spammers and unwillingness to deal with it at the source (boot infected devices, originating AS / IX, .. ) resulted in a choice between a game of whack-a-mole or only accepting gmail¹. These days, relaying has to be setup on the specific relay server, the originating address needs to permit it (DNS SPF/DKIM/DMARC/whatever), and the relay server will still have a reputational problem with deliverability to unrelated servers, which is problematic even for direct mail, unless you are gmail¹. ¹ usually gmail + varying number of big players
    - xyzzy_plugh 5y ago
      Ah I was a little unclear. Edited. I meant that free-for-all relaying is a thing of the past.
chris37879 5y ago
I had a professor that made us answer questions about the bandwidth, latency, and reliability of a stationwagon loaded with hard drives. I never imagined I'd see a practical example of that principal at work.
- hervature 5y ago
  Physical transportation of storage has always been a thing. Of course, over time, internet speeds increasing means it only makes since for larger amounts of storage. https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/ https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/
- wiml 5y ago
  Cloud providers like AWS will do data import/export via racks of drives in a shipping crate, if you have that much data. [1] (Or just a few drives in the mail if you're not moving petabytes.) On the other end of the enterpriseyness scale, but still an actual real-world use, there's SD cards attached to homing pigeons [2], in addition to numerous stunts or pranks ala RFC1149. [1] https://aws.amazon.com/snowball/#Snowball_Data_Transfer https://aws.amazon.com/snowball/#Snowball_Data_Transfer [2] https://www.denverpost.com/2007/06/22/homing-pigeons-get-down-to-business-ferrying-rafting-company-photos/ https://www.denverpost.com/2007/06/22/homing-pigeons-get-dow...
m463 5y ago
Back when computers were connected only intermittently, UUCP was the means of doing this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUCP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUCP

aidos 5y ago

Can you explain what you mean about gmail?

xyzzy_plugh 5y ago
Classically SMTP let you "relay" mail that neither originated or is destined for the specific server. Gmail, and most modern SMTP servers, only permit mail from or to a Gmail address/their primary domain. Edit: added clarification that all SMTP servers do not only permit Gmail addresses...
- labawi 5y ago
  Is this sarcasm? As the gmail part is completely false. Relaying used to be a thing, before spammers and unwillingness to deal with it at the source (boot infected devices, originating AS / IX, .. ) resulted in a choice between a game of whack-a-mole or only accepting gmail¹. These days, relaying has to be setup on the specific relay server, the originating address needs to permit it (DNS SPF/DKIM/DMARC/whatever), and the relay server will still have a reputational problem with deliverability to unrelated servers, which is problematic even for direct mail, unless you are gmail¹. ¹ usually gmail + varying number of big players
  - xyzzy_plugh 5y ago
    Ah I was a little unclear. Edited. I meant that free-for-all relaying is a thing of the past.

chris37879 5y ago

I had a professor that made us answer questions about the bandwidth, latency, and reliability of a stationwagon loaded with hard drives. I never imagined I'd see a practical example of that principal at work.

hervature 5y ago
Physical transportation of storage has always been a thing. Of course, over time, internet speeds increasing means it only makes since for larger amounts of storage. https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/ https://aws.amazon.com/snowmobile/
wiml 5y ago
Cloud providers like AWS will do data import/export via racks of drives in a shipping crate, if you have that much data. [1] (Or just a few drives in the mail if you're not moving petabytes.) On the other end of the enterpriseyness scale, but still an actual real-world use, there's SD cards attached to homing pigeons [2], in addition to numerous stunts or pranks ala RFC1149. [1] https://aws.amazon.com/snowball/#Snowball_Data_Transfer https://aws.amazon.com/snowball/#Snowball_Data_Transfer [2] https://www.denverpost.com/2007/06/22/homing-pigeons-get-down-to-business-ferrying-rafting-company-photos/ https://www.denverpost.com/2007/06/22/homing-pigeons-get-dow...

m463 5y ago

Back when computers were connected only intermittently, UUCP was the means of doing this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUCP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UUCP