This document covers all of the recommended settings for accessing a Willamette e-mail account. Willamette Users who are setting up Netscape Communicator without the assistance of WITS should create a user profile first (see Netscape Communicator User Profile). If you are doing this at home and have another Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as AOL, MSN, or Earthlink, you should create a new profile to use for accessing your Willamette e-mail. You may also need to refer to the Willamette E-mail Server Settings document.

If you have previously used Eudora or Outlook Express, you may be able to import your current messages and address book. Some versions of the User Profile utility will prompt you to import existing files at the end of the User Profile setup. You can also do this after you have completed the setup by choosing Communicator > Tools > Import Utility from the menu.

• As you are completing the Preferences settings, you can click on the Help button in any dialog box for detailed information on the item you are viewing. 
• Click on OK at the bottom of the Preferences dialog box to save all of your preferences and return to the Messenger screen. 
• After you complete the configuration, exit and restart Netscape Communicator. 
• For additional information, choose Help from the menu.

Different versions of Netscape may use slightly different terminology for commands and settings in the dialog boxes. These instructions are for Netscape Communicator 4.8 for Windows.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups category, then select Identity.
• Your name: enter your name as you want it to appear in the From portion of the header of every message you send.
• Email address: enter your email address (e.g., username@willamette.edu).
• Reply-to address: leave blank unless you want responses to your messages to go to an email address other than the one you used in the Email address box.
• Organization: enter any organization name you want associated to your address (optional).
• Signature File: enter the path to a plain text file that has the information you want to appear at the end of every e-mail message you send (or use the Choose button to locate the file). You can create your signature file with Notepad (Windows), SimpleText (Mac), or use the "Save As" option in your word processor to save the file as "Text Only". Your signature file should not exceed five lines of text.
• Leave the Attach my personal card to messages (as a Vcard) unchecked. If you choose to use the vCard option, Pine users will not see the vCard in your messages, as it is an attachment.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups category, then select Mail Servers.
• Under Outgoing Mail Server:
  • Outgoing mail (SMTP) server:
      -- If you're on campus: smtp.willamette.edu
      -- If you're off campus, using Willamette's dial-up service: smtp.willamette.edu
      -- If you're off campus, using an ISP (such as AOL, Earthlink, MSN, Qwest), use the SMTP or outgoing mail server provided by your ISP. This information can usually be found in the ISPs documentation, on their website, or by contacting their customer service department.
  • Outgoing mail server user name: [your Willamette network login name or the outgoing mail server user name supplied by another ISP]. Do not enter your entire e-mail address.
  • Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or TLS for outgoing messages: use the default setting (or Never, if in doubt).
• Under Incoming Mail Servers, select your mail server, then click on Edit to make changes.
  • If no Incoming Mail Server is listed, click on Add to add a new mail server.
• Under the General tab:
  • If you are adding a new Incoming Mail Server, enter the name of your mail server in the Server Name box:
      -- All Willamette students, staff, and faculty should use: mail.willamette.edu
  • Server Type: IMAP server.
  • User Name: enter your Willamette network login name (Do not enter your entire e-mail address).
  • Leave the Remember password checkbox blank (as a security measure).
  • Check the Check for mail every [ ] minutes checkbox (you can enter any number of minutes, but it's best to set it to at least 3 minutes). NOTE: If you dial in from home and use Willamette as your ISP, use a setting that is less than 10 minutes to keep your connection from timing out.
• Under the IMAP tab:
  • Leave the Mark new folders and Use Secure Connection checkboxes blank.
  • In the When I delete a message section, select Move it to the Trash folder. Messages in the Trash can be moved back to any other folder, if necessary.
  • Check the Empty Trash on exit checkbox.
  • Other options are available on the IMAP tab for specifying how you want to process deleted mail.
• Under the Advanced tab:
  • IMAP server directory: mail/
  • Make sure that all of the other boxes and checkboxes are blank.

You must add two news servers if you want access to all of the newsgroups available to Willamette users:
news.willamette.edu (local newsgroups) and usenet.willamette.edu (world-wide newsgroups).

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups category, then select Newsgroup Servers.
• To add news.willamette.edu:
  • Click on the Add button.
  • In the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box:
    • Server: news.willamette.edu
    • Port: 119.
    • There is no reason to check either the Supports encrypted connections or Always use name and password boxes.
    • Click OK to return to the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box.
• To add usenet.willamette.edu:
  • Click on the Add button.
  • In the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box:
    • Server: usenet.willamette.edu
    • Port: 119.
    • There is no reason to check either the Supports encrypted connections or Always use name and password boxes.
  • Click OK to return to the Newsgroup Server Properties dialog box.
• Click on OK to return to the Preferences dialog box.

NOTE: The first time you subscribe to newsgroups on usenet.willamette.edu, it may take up to 15 minutes to download the newsgroups list.

• Choose Communicator > Address Book from the menu.
• In the Address Book, choose File > New Directory from the menu.
• In the Directory Server Properties dialog box:
  • Description: Willamette
  • LDAP Server: ldap.willamette.edu
  • Search Root: o=willamette.edu
• There is no need to make any changes under the Offline Settings tab.
• Click on OK to return to the Preferences dialog box.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Addressing.
• In the Pinpoint Addressing section:
  • Check the Address Books box.
  • Check the Directory Server box, then select Willamette from the list.
  • Select the Show me a list of choices radio button.
  • Check the Use the address and do not search the directory box.
• In the When displaying full names section:
  • Show names using display name (from address book card) allows you to sort the entries by the Display Name field.
  • Show names using last name, first name allows you to sort the addresses with separate First Name and Last Name alphabetically.

  Note to users switching from Pine: You can convert your current Pine address book for use in Netscape, but they cannot share the same address book.

  • Go to the Pine Address Book Converter: http://www.willamette.edu/wits/secure/pine2ldif.cgi
  • You will be prompted to login, then follow the directions on the screen. You will download a copy of your Pine address book, which you can import into your Netscape Address Book.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Messages.
• In the Forwarding and replying to messages section:
  • By default, forward messages: Inline.
  • Automatically quote the original message when replying - if checked, then you have the following options:
    Then, start my reply above the quoted text. 
    Then, start my reply below the quoted text.
    Then, select quoted text (allows you to either keep the quoted text or discard it when you start your reply).
  • Check the Spell check messages before sending checkbox if you want to enable this feature.
    • To spell check languages other than English, you must install additional dictionaries. Dictionaries for many languages are available for free on the Netscape FAQ web site: http://www.ufaq.org/commonly/splchk_langs.html
    • More information for using languages other than English in Netscape can be found on Netscape's International Users page: http://home.netscape.com/menu/intl/
• In Message Wrapping:
  • Check the Wrap incoming checkbox.
  • Set Wrap outgoing plain text messages at to 72 characters.
• In the Send messages that use 8-bit character box:
  • Select the As is radio button.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Window settings.
• These are personal preferences; choose the options that best fit your needs.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Copies and Folders.
• In the When sending a mail message, automatically box:
  • Check the Place a copy in the folder 'Sent' on ... checkbox (the correct mailserver name will be displayed).

    NOTES: You may have to do all of the other Netscape configuration, exit and restart Netscape before you can see the folder list.
    
    If you want to use the folder you created for sent mail in Pine, click the Choose Folder button, then select Other in the Choose Folder window. Select the folder you were using in Pine from the list of folders under your mailserver name. ALERT: Your sent mail folder name must be one word, no spaces (e.g., "sentmail" or "sent-mail"). If your old sent mail folder has a space in the name, you'll have to rename it first (File > Rename Folder).
    
    You can also use this option to save your sent mail on your local computer, which is recommended if you want to save your sent mail indefinitely. See Netscape Messenger Basics for more information on folders.

• In the When sending a newsgroup message, automatically box:
  • Check the Place a copy in folder checkbox (your mail server will be indicated).
  • Make no changes to the Storage for drafts and templates settings.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Formatting.
• In the Message formatting box:
  • Select the Use Plain Text Editor radio button.
• In the When sending HTML mail messages... box:
  • Select the Ask me what to do... radio button.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Return receipts.
• Most users should select Never return a receipt. If you want to setup return receipts:
  • Click on the Customize button.
    Make your desired return receipt settings.
  • Click on OK to return to the Preferences dialog box.

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Mail & Newsgroups section, then select Disk Space.
• In the All messages box:
  • Make sure the Do not store messages locally checkbox is unchecked.
  • Make sure Automatically compact folders is unchecked.
• In the Newsgroup Messages Only box:
  • Select the Keep messages which have arrived within the past radio button and set the option to 30 days.

Some other Netscape Preferences settings are related to e-mail:

Security Tip

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Advanced section.
• Deselect the Enable JavaScript for Mail and News checkbox (may provide some additional security against "hackers").

Work Offline

When you start Netscape, you have the option to work offline (there is a checkbox in the lower left corner of the Netcape Communicator Profiles dialog box. The Offline Preferences settings allow you to configure Netscape for "offline" mode. This is useful if you  want to download your mail and read it later offline or compose messages while you are offline, to be sent later when you connect to the Internet. 

• Choose Edit > Preferences from the menu.
• Open the Offline section.
  • Choose the settings for how you want to work offline.
• Open the Download section.
  • Choose the settings for how you want to manage your downloaded messages