Internet Email Protocols gathers, in one comprehensive and convenient resource, the key technologies that form the underlying mechanics of Internet email. It provides developers and networking professionals with in-depth explanations of essential concepts and a framework for understanding how and why these technologies fit together to provide cohesive email services. This book shows how to troubleshoot and solve email problems, how to evaluate different implementations of the standards and protocols, and how to be better equipped when faced with the challenge of writing programs that process email. For each chapter, the author presents an overview of the material, detailed information, and any important extensions and advanced uses of the protocols being discussed. You will find in-depth descriptions of: *Message formats, covering the structure of message headers, the various fields, and the intricacies of email addresses, as well as a detailed treatment of MIME *Mail transport technology, focusing on the SMTP protocol *The most current versions of the POP and IMAP protocols *The mechanics of filtering email, with an emphasis on applying this knowledge to blocking unsolicited bulk