roland@internetpolicyagency.com:
There is of course a technical (operational) difference between IMAP/POP and Webmail, which should be fairly easy to demonstrate.
However, from a regulatory (public policy) point of view, it's clear that all forms of email are "messages", including webmail.
Umm ... I have a gut feeling that someone is trying to split hairs here. E-mail has existed in many ways, shapes, and forms over the years. "Webmail" doesn't strike me as a well defined term, and you have to be careful using IMAP/POP as terminology for e-mail. E-mail can be carried in the strangest of ways, and the following chain is far from unusual: web browser --> web server --> mail server --> SMTP connection --> mail server --> Microsoft Exchange server --> IMAP connection --> web server --> web client. Which part is or isn't involved? (This is a rhetorical question - no need to answer.) E-mail is message passing between users. I'm not sure the protocol matters that much ... Best regards, /Lars-Johan Liman #---------------------------------------------------------------------- # Lars-Johan Liman, M.Sc. ! E-mail: liman@netnod.se # Senior Systems Specialist ! Tel: +46 8 - 562 860 12 # Netnod Internet Exchange, Stockholm ! http://www.netnod.se/ #----------------------------------------------------------------------