Compatibility of smtplib with some SMTP server

[Barry A. Warsaw]

>>>>> "DL" == Dirksen Lau <dirksen.lau at polyu.edu.hk> writes:

    DL> I'm using my campus smtp server to test python's send mail
    DL> script. It works if the mails are addressed to campus
    DL> accounts, but strangely fails if addressed to outside
    DL> networks, such as xx at yahoo.com, The mails just vanish! Using
    DL> outlook express, I can send mails to xx at yahoo.com throught the
    DL> campus smtp server. On the other hand, the script works again
    DL> with xx at yahoo.com if I change to another smtp server. I'm
    DL> wondering smtplib might have some compatibility issues with
    DL> smtp server? Am I correct? If so, what can I do about it? I'm
    DL> running python 1.5.2 win32 bineray version.

In general, smtplib.py should be compatible with most smtpd's.  I've
no doubt that the library has been updated since 1.5.2, so you may
want to upgrade your Python, but the module certainly gets a wide and
serious workout with Mailman.

Note that many/most of the large ISP's smtpd's like aol.com and
possibly yahoo.com have all kinds of spam defenses that might be
getting in your way.  E.g. AOL apparently has an unpublished maximum
limit on the number of recipients allowed, rumored to be 17, above
which it will simply eat the message, not delivering it and not
returning an SMTP error code.  It's possible Yahoo's got something
similar going on.

there's-no-art-blacker-than-email-ly y'rs,
-Barry