Glossary of IP communications
POP3
A client/server protocol in which e-mail is received and held for you by your Internet server. Periodically, you (or your client e-mail receiver) check your mail-box on the server and download any mail. An alternative protocol is Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). With IMAP, you view your e-mail at the server as though it was on your client computer. An e-mail message deleted locally is still on the server. E-mail can be kept on and searched at the server. POP can be thought of as a "store-and-forward" service. IMAP can be thought of as a remote file server.