Online email pickup?
July 10, 2011 10:00 AM
Is there such a thing as an online email client? Like Thunderbird or Outlook, only accessed via a browser.
Either something you can host on your own server or a provided service somewhere in the cloud.
I have an email account without webmail but I would still like to be able to pick up my email when I have access to a browser (plus I'm just interested in the idea). I usually use Thunderbird to access it via IMAP. I've been trying to search for it but I don't think I know the right terminology to use.
I could set it up to forward to a gmail address or something but that's not my preferred option. I'm sure it would be just as useful but I'm more interested in the concept of a cloud-based email client, and I want to know whether it's a real thing.
Either something you can host on your own server or a provided service somewhere in the cloud.
I have an email account without webmail but I would still like to be able to pick up my email when I have access to a browser (plus I'm just interested in the idea). I usually use Thunderbird to access it via IMAP. I've been trying to search for it but I don't think I know the right terminology to use.
I could set it up to forward to a gmail address or something but that's not my preferred option. I'm sure it would be just as useful but I'm more interested in the concept of a cloud-based email client, and I want to know whether it's a real thing.
You can set up your gmail account so that it pulls your IMAP email - you won't need to have it foward to a gmail address.
posted by unexpected at 10:10 AM on July 10, 2011
posted by unexpected at 10:10 AM on July 10, 2011
My university gives me web based access through roundcube (linked above). It looks and feels like Thunderbird.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 10:21 AM on July 10, 2011
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 10:21 AM on July 10, 2011
There's also Horde, though personally I like roundcube better.
posted by tracert at 10:31 AM on July 10, 2011
posted by tracert at 10:31 AM on July 10, 2011
The term you're looking for is webmail. I can't see how email would work at all if it could never go online. Being on the internet (or some other closed network) is a fairly basic requirement of email. (Unless you want to do local mail delivery only between unix users.)
Roundcube, squirrelmail, horde, xuheki, atmail, hastymail.
posted by Brian Puccio at 10:52 AM on July 10, 2011
Roundcube, squirrelmail, horde, xuheki, atmail, hastymail.
posted by Brian Puccio at 10:52 AM on July 10, 2011
Some webmail services will allow you to access third-party inboxes via POP or IMAP. Fastmail for example will fetch mail from external mailboxes via POP, essentially acting as a cloud-based html email client.
posted by Dr Dracator at 11:06 AM on July 10, 2011
posted by Dr Dracator at 11:06 AM on July 10, 2011
you can set up gmail as an imap client, which is not the same as forwarding.
posted by empath at 11:35 AM on July 10, 2011
posted by empath at 11:35 AM on July 10, 2011
You can set up your gmail account so that it pulls your IMAP email - you won't need to have it foward to a gmail address.
As for as I know, this is not possible. Gmail will not pull IMAP, only POP3 (to my chagrin). Your Gmail account itself can be accessed from another client via IMAP (or POP3) if you choose to do so, but the Gmail client won't do the same for another IMAP account. If I'm wrong, I'd love to be corrected so please let me know.
posted by drpynchon at 12:04 PM on July 10, 2011
As for as I know, this is not possible. Gmail will not pull IMAP, only POP3 (to my chagrin). Your Gmail account itself can be accessed from another client via IMAP (or POP3) if you choose to do so, but the Gmail client won't do the same for another IMAP account. If I'm wrong, I'd love to be corrected so please let me know.
posted by drpynchon at 12:04 PM on July 10, 2011
Thought I'd pop in to see if anybody suggested Mail2Web yet. I used to use them all the time to log in to POP3 and IMAP accounts, never had any trouble. There's HTTPS mode for a bit more security too. Simply enter your IMAP account details in to the form and log in (you might need to use the Advanced form, I always did).
Obvious note to be totally clear - you are providing your mail login details to a 3rd party that is essentially the same as handing them over to a stranger. I never had any noticeable issues with unauthorised account access and I still have one of the accounts I used to access through this service, no uptick in spam, no identity theft etc.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:49 PM on July 10, 2011
Obvious note to be totally clear - you are providing your mail login details to a 3rd party that is essentially the same as handing them over to a stranger. I never had any noticeable issues with unauthorised account access and I still have one of the accounts I used to access through this service, no uptick in spam, no identity theft etc.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 3:49 PM on July 10, 2011
you are providing your mail login details to a 3rd party
Good point, and with an extra cause for concern: if your webmail provider can log in to your POP mailbox, this means they are saving a cleartext or decryptable copy of your password somewhere - not a good idea from a security point of view. At the very least, make sure the password you give them is not used for any other service except the mailbox you want to read.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:21 PM on July 10, 2011
Good point, and with an extra cause for concern: if your webmail provider can log in to your POP mailbox, this means they are saving a cleartext or decryptable copy of your password somewhere - not a good idea from a security point of view. At the very least, make sure the password you give them is not used for any other service except the mailbox you want to read.
posted by Dr Dracator at 9:21 PM on July 10, 2011
So things like horde and roundcube can be used to get email from a third-party server? Cool, thanks everyone.
posted by teraspawn at 12:44 AM on July 11, 2011
posted by teraspawn at 12:44 AM on July 11, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jferg at 10:07 AM on July 10, 2011