Email took 5 days to inform me a message was 'too big' for the server

Forums › Mac OS › Email took 5 days to inform me a message was 'too big' for the server - why?!

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#146956 3-Jun-2014 22:49

I sent an email from my iMac (using Gmail) on Thursday night.

Just now, the system suddenly popped up with the message and informed me that the message attachment was too big.

Fair enough but 5 days seems a ludicrous amount of time to take to tell me that. It was to a client, who I assumed had the document 5 days ago!

Why on earth would it take that long?

sidefx

3775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1295

Trusted

#1058953 3-Jun-2014 23:04

Sorry I can't give a definite answer, but email is generally relayed through a number of servers to get to the end recipient, and often retries a number of times if something goes wrong.

I basically never assume attachments will get through for work, so always ask for receipt of the attachment when I send them. If I don't get one I send a quick followup email to the effect of "did you get this" And if nothing from that a phone call. Safest that way. email is not 100% reliable for many reasons.

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

Batman

Mad Scientist
30012 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1058955 3-Jun-2014 23:06

it was probably waiting for you to resend it, and after *searching through all your emails and browsers and what nots decided that there is no evidence you sent it via gmail, so it thought it'd just make sure you are going to resend it?

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1058956 3-Jun-2014 23:07

Yes, very odd. I have had 'Your email can not be delivered and is in the queue' kind of messages before - but not for this one. Just nothing - then 5 days later "we can't deliver this because the attachment is too big"!

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1058957 3-Jun-2014 23:08

joker97: it was probably waiting for you to resend it, and after *searching through all your emails and browsers and what nots decided that there is no evidence you sent it via gmail, so it thought it'd just make sure you are going to resend it?

Who knows.

I shrunk the PDF and sent it again!

Dairyxox

1595 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 455

#1058958 3-Jun-2014 23:09

onedrive or dropbox ftw
email needs to be put out to pasture.

PhantomNVD

2619 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 759
Inactive user

#1058964 3-Jun-2014 23:19

Dairyxox: onedrive or dropbox ftw
email needs to be put out to pasture.

MEh... still need to email the link? :)

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

Geektastic

18009 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 8465

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1059101 4-Jun-2014 11:06

Dairyxox: onedrive or dropbox ftw
email needs to be put out to pasture.

I have found that some organisations - especially government ones dealing with, ahem, classified documents - often have IT systems that prevent their staff from getting docs from places like that.

I had a client at MFAT who had to give me her personal address to send her some stuff (all of which was entirely legit and harmless) simply because their IT system disallowed that.

MikeB4

MikeB4
18775 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 12766

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#1059103 4-Jun-2014 11:13

Geektastic:
Dairyxox: onedrive or dropbox ftw
email needs to be put out to pasture.

I have found that some organisations - especially government ones dealing with, ahem, classified documents - often have IT systems that prevent their staff from getting docs from places like that.

I had a client at MFAT who had to give me her personal address to send her some stuff (all of which was entirely legit and harmless) simply because their IT system disallowed that.

The Govt Dept I worked for did that, the recipient would receive a system generated email stating that an email from jbloggs had been blocked due to image, exe or other attachments. They simply had to contact IT with the reference number provided, the attachment would be looked at in an isolated machine and released if it was business related and safe.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

scuwp

3927 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2510

#1059106 4-Jun-2014 11:19

KiwiNZ:
Geektastic:
Dairyxox: onedrive or dropbox ftw
email needs to be put out to pasture.

I have found that some organisations - especially government ones dealing with, ahem, classified documents - often have IT systems that prevent their staff from getting docs from places like that.

I had a client at MFAT who had to give me her personal address to send her some stuff (all of which was entirely legit and harmless) simply because their IT system disallowed that.

The Govt Dept I worked for did that, the recipient would receive a system generated email stating that an email from jbloggs had been blocked due to image, exe or other attachments. They simply had to contact IT with the reference number provided, the attachment would be looked at in an isolated machine and released if it was business related and safe.

Yep, we get this all the time. It is mostly a PITA but can appreciate why it is needed.

Also our attachment limit is ridiculously low, something like 10Mb last time I looked.

I have had some 'non-deliverable' email responses a couple of hours later, but never days! Lost in cyberspace somewhere for a while perhaps?

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

BTR

1527 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 449

#1059614 5-Jun-2014 10:02

Geektastic: I sent an email from my iMac (using Gmail) on Thursday night.

Just now, the system suddenly popped up with the message and informed me that the message attachment was too big.

Fair enough but 5 days seems a ludicrous amount of time to take to tell me that. It was to a client, who I assumed had the document 5 days ago!

Why on earth would it take that long?

Maybe took 5 days for the NSA to get to it before passing it on the actual mail server. Govt depts never have quick turn around times... Haha