[Tutor] How to send email from a gmail a/c using smtp when port 587(smtp) is blocked

[Walter Prins]

Hi Ashish,

On 11 September 2012 22:44, ashish makani <ashish.makani at gmail.com> wrote:
> These emails are automated diagnostic emails sent to a group of a few
> admins, so we get notified when a python heartbeat script, detects a failure
> in things like n/w connectivity, router status, etc.
> We dont use university email, we use gmail.
>
> Emile,
> Please don't presume people's intentions (that we are sending spam) & judge
> people without knowing anything about them.
> We are a tiny startup trying to connect rural communities using voice & ivr
> systems - http://gramvaani.org/

OK, well I'm sure you can see how an apparent newbie asking to get out
of a university network without any explanation can be seem um,
suspect, so I think Emile's response was reasonable.   I must further
note that I can't actually see how/where your request actually fits
under the projects listed by that site.  So, colour me still a bit
sceptical, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

So then, given that you can only get out on port 80, your only real
option the way I see it is to write a small web service, maybe a SOAP
or preferably ReST service, to run on e.g. Google APP engine that will
do the emailing for you.    Of course, you'll have to consider whether
to implement some security yourself if you use port 80 as the data
going over the wire will be sent unencrypted.  It may not be a problem
but then again it may.  Note, alternatively you can perhaps also use
https (port 443), if that's also open as that will give you end-to-end
encryption for free. (But I have no idea and suspect that this may
also introduce a boatload of other complications...)

Walter