Q: I got a message from "System
Administrator" saying that a message I wrote never got to a
recipient. I know I didn't write that
message, has someone taken control of my mailbox?
A: While it is possible for someone to gain
access to your mailbox (which is one reason why you should change your password
on a regular basis), it isn't likely in this situation. E-mail hasn't changed much since it’s inception, and as such it does not have a very good
safeguard to prevent others from sending email using your own return
address. This is called spoofing and is
used widely in both virus attacks and spam distribution. The malicious sender only has to change the
text in the return address field in an email and it will appear to have come
from that address. Recipients and email
systems alike are none the wiser. If the
message goes through, the recipient will think the mail came from a trusted
source. If it cannot be delivered, the
responsible email system will try to return the message to sender, in this case
you, the spoofed address. There's really
nothing to do or worry about.
Q: I'm getting a lot of spam lately, is the
district spam filter broken?
A: The district spam filter is by design not
entirely fool-proof. ITS has taken the
position that we will let some of the less obvious spam through the system in
order to decrease the risk of trapping legitimate emails in the filter. The spam that you're getting did not score
high enough on our scale to be deemed completely unwanted and thus was allowed
through.
Q: I'd rather not have the district spam filter
on my mailbox. Can you turn it off?
A: Yes we can.
Please go to the SMCCD Portal site and click on Remove Me From the Spam Filter.
Q: I want to send an email to everyone at my
campus. I see the distribution list, but
no one received the message. Why?
A: It is the District’s policy that the college
presidents decide which individuals are allowed access to those distribution
lists. If you cannot send to the list,
or your recipients are not getting the message, then the college president has
not given you permission to access that list.
Q: I know I don't have access to the college
distribution list, but I really need to send this message out. What can I do?
A: Contact your division dean or supervisor to
send out the message. After their review
they may decide to send the message on your behalf to the campus distribution
list.
Q: Is it permitted to compose a message with all
of the users in the To: line?
A: Absolutely not. This is considered spamming and is against
our ISP's terms of service agreement (TOS).
Q: What's the mailbox size limit?
A: The mailbox size limit is set to store
200MB. You will get a warning if you
ever begin to approach that limit. If
your limit is exceeded for too long your mailbox will be disabled.
Q: Is there a limit on the size of an attachment
or email I can send or receive?
A: The maximum size for incoming and outgoing
messages is set to 25 MB per message.
That is both the size of the message and any attachments to the message.
Q: My mailbox is full and I don't have time to
clean it out. Can you make it bigger?
A: The answer is generally no. Cleaning out your mailbox is something we all
have to do. Be sure to empty your
Deleted Items folder and clean all folders including Inbox and Sent Items.
Q: I need to send/receive a message over
25MB. What can I do?
A: If you're on campus, you can simply share the file over the
network. This is an easy and fast
process. The HelpCenter can help you set
this up yourself. If you're trying to
send the message to an offsite location, then you have a few options. You could use a compression program, such as
WinZip, to compress the file or split it up into multiple smaller portions.
Q: Why can't you just change the size limit for
an email message?
A: 25MB is rather large to begin with. Chances are the recipients email server won't
be able to handle a message that large, either.
Q: My email is down today and I really need my
email, what's wrong with the system? Oh
and I can't get to the internet either (EG: www.google.com).
A: If you can't get to the internet, chances are
that the email system is fine, but your network connection has been lost. The best thing to do is contact the
HelpCenter. Make sure they understand
that you cannot connect to any network resource, not just email, as that will
determine to whom they assign the problem.
Q: I have to click on Send/Receive before I will
get any new messages. It used to be
automatic, what happened?
A: This may be the result of a minor network
interruption. Outlook 2003 has the
ability to continue working even without a network connection. When the network goes out, Outlook will
switch into an offline mode. Ordinarily,
when the network service is restored, Outlook returns to online mode. In this instance, Outlook never came back to
online mode. If you see a red message in
the bottom left of your Outlook window, then this is the case. Click on the message and clear the offline
check mark.
Q: I want to use Outlook at home just like I do
at work. How do I set that up?
A: Configuring your Outlook for home use isn't
particularly easy and we recommend using Outlook Web Access. However, if you want to, the instructions for
setting up "RPC over HTTP" are available at http://www.smccd.net/accounts/helpcenter/rpcemail.doc.
(You will need to at least have Windows XP with SP2 and Outlook 2003.)
Q: I forgot my email password. Who do I contact?
A: For your protection, ITS does not have access
to your passwords. The HelpCenter, CTL,
or your division Dean can contact the appropriate IT person to reset your
password. Do not submit a work order at
the HelpCenter to reset your password as the originator of the request cannot
be verified.
Q: I do not like my email address. Can I change it to something else?
A: No, because the District email system follows
a specific naming convention for each email address. We will, however, change addresses in the
event of a legal name change.
Q: I downloaded some software off the internet
to aid me in using my District email, and now I cannot access my District email
account. Can someone help me use this
new software?
A: Unfortunately, the district cannot support
any software that is not specifically provided by the district. (Outlook 2003,
Outlook Express and Entourage for Mac are the only email clients supported by
IT Staff)
Q: I have a question that's not on this
list. Who do I ask about it?
A: The HelpCenter. The HelpCenter is staffed during normal
business hours. They can answer
questions and fix most problems over the phone.
If the problem is more involved, they can dispatch a technician to visit
your workstation. Submit requests online at http://helpcenter.smccd.net or call x6543