Karl Auer <kauer@biplane.com.au> writes:
I think the point about email is that it is inherently store-and- forward, so it can relatively easily be moved off a network, stored, moved by other means, and put back on a (possibly different) network.
It's trivial to set up a mail transport between physically separate networks using a pair of PCs with modems and local network connections. They don't have to be fancy, either - a tiny Unix installation with SMTP and UUCP is all it takes. I've done it with Minix on a 286 box. Today, I guess a Raspberry Pi with a USB modem might be chosen, or a laptop that could be hooked up to open WiFi networks to do the SMTP side from somewhere other than its operator's home. To avoid the modem link, you'd need some safe way to transport e.g. a USB memory stick with the mail spool on it between participating hosts. -tih -- Most people who graduate with CS degrees don't understand the significance of Lisp. Lisp is the most important idea in computer science. --Alan Kay