Is this a beverage?

POP, or, more technically, POP3 (for Post Office Protocol v.3) is a method for the retreival of messages from an email server.

POP is aging was designed for dial-up users. As a result, the basic method in which POP works is as follows:

  1. Client logs on to server
  2. Server lists messages
  3. Client requests messages
  4. Server sends client the messages
  5. Client saves messages locally (on one's computer hard disk)
  6. Client tells server to delete messages
  7. Client logs off

An example, please

Here we have another actual transcript of a client-server communication.

Please note that you will have to substitute your own info where the text is italicised. (Your reponses will vary based on server and number of messages you have) Also note that most modern clients encrypt the username and password instead of simply using "USER" and "PASS".

telnet pop.telusplanet.net 110+OK InterMail POP3 server ready. USER rkiil +OK please send PASS command PASS really_easy_password +OK rkiil is welcome here STAT +OK 19 8425669 LIST +OK 19 messages
1 1529215
-- Message ID, then size --
19 1512
. RETR 19 +OK 1512 octets
----MESSAGE DATA----
. DELE 19 +OK QUIT +OK rkiil InterMail POP3 server signing off. ↑ Back to Top