Hans PinckaersJul 19, 2023
kottke.org
One of my favorite internet stories: "We can't send email more than 500 miles" https://kottke.org/12/05/we-cant-send-email-more-than-500-miles
“We can’t send email more than 500 miles”

Still one of my favorite internet things: The case of the 500-mile email. I was working in a job running the campus email system

kottke.org
Jul 17, 2023 at 10:56pmWeb
Show threadMartijn FrazerJul 17, 2023
@kottke Haha incredible, love it
Show threadDylanJul 17, 2023
@kottke I refer to this story several times a year when discussing troubleshooting weird issues. One of the best internet stories ever.
Show threadrnlf 🍉Jul 17, 2023
@kottke This is the coolest story I've read in ages.
Show threadJason LevineJul 17, 2023
@kottke OMFG I love that story so much.
Show threadKyle HebertJul 17, 2023
@kottke I love this story. Ever since I first read it on your blog and an excuse to tell it comes up I tell it.
Show threaddandelsJul 18, 2023
@kottke I think this story is where I originally learned about the units command.
Show threadstonedonkey 🕹️🎮👾Jul 18, 2023
@dandels @kottke I read this ages ago but couldn't recall what the story was thanks for posting this!
Show threadWolfgang LutzJul 18, 2023
@kottke Thanks to this I now know the units command 😂
Show threadintelatiJul 18, 2023
@kottke I love the "geostatistician" detail.
Show threadboxspringJul 19, 2023
@kottke Pretty sure I read this on Usenet in the 90s because that’s when I was dealing with the exact same SunOS/Sendmail problem…one of the best debugging stories ever.
Show threadMomerathJul 28, 2023
@kottke Here's the longer, original post about the problem sending email over 500 miles: http://www.ibiblio.org/harris/500milemail.html
The case of the 500-mile email