The Disadvantages Associated With POP3 Email
ByThere are many advantages that make the POP3 email platform attractive to email clients. This is the most common and popular email platform but is becoming outdated. Therefore, an update needs to be released in order to keep pace with ever-increasing technology.
Along with the many great features we have seen over the years from the POP3 email platform, there are a few noteworthy disadvantages including,
- Opening attachments
- JavaScript issues
- Corrupt email folders
- Disappearing of privacy
- Potential for infection
- Consumption of resources
- Downloading large files
While opening attachments within an email client that utilizes this platform is a quick and simplified process, the efficiency slows down greatly when the attached file contains a virus payload. Another disadvantage is the potential for JavaScript issues. If enabled in your email reader, you could be the target of a nuisance JavaScript file embedded in your email. This can cause computer issues and create a security hole.
Additionally, email folders can sometimes become corrupt and lost along with all the emails in that folder. Recovery can be an arduous task and may not always be an option. Furthermore, since POP3 uses your local hard drive to store messages, your privacy disappears when someone sits down at your computer. Even if the email reader contains a password, an individual that knows what they are doing can find other ways to access these folders and read your emails.
Also, your locally stored email files are subject to viruses that may be embedded in your machine by other means. Using an effective virus scanner will help with this issue but is only effective on 60 percent of emails being sent to other recipients. Additionally, after a while, these emails will collect (if not properly maintained) and begin to eat up valuable system resources like storage space.
Finally, the POP3 email system is set to download attachments one at a time. Therefore, messages sent with large files can take a great deal of time to download resulting in an unmanageable, counterproductive system. Utilizing mobile devices and dialup connections can cause even greater frustration and difficulty.
Despite the many advantages developed over the years, the disadvantages seem to have gone overlooked. Therefore, POP3 needs a vast update or overhaul in order to keep up with the demands of modern technology. There are other platforms in the works that will fix the shortcomings of the POP3 email platform.