Parts Shortage?

RS is hellishly expensive. Try RapidOnline, or CPC Farnell instead.

It could be that moving bulk parts for military use is now affecting consumer grade component supply chain although it seems a bit soon for that to happen. First Iraq war made some dual use parts hard to find.

UK has almost no stock of anything though post Brexit - all the big multinational component suppliers have main distribution centres in Europe now. The one that I mostly used for memory chips moved to Prague and several others to Ireland to stay in the English speaking parts.

Picking a random value, 100uF 35V, Mouser shows 400 different parts, and most of them have lots of stock.

John Larkin Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center Lunatic Fringe Electronics

Could just be panic buying by European companies, then. Be interesting if it spreads to the US. As for Mouser, I fell out with them. They held my order in some sort of limbo whilst they investigated me for being blacklisted as an enemy agent, just because I use a Russian email service!

Farnell are a bunch of wankers; I fell out with them years ago; can't recall what over now. I've not noticed RS being more expensive than the rest and their service is way better than CPC/Farnell. Corporations run their European ops from Ireland for one reason and one reason only: artificially low tax rates. Without that special dispensation from your wonderful EU, the Irish would be on the bones of their arse.

Thay may have been concened about getting paid, or maybe didn't want their parts being used to kill Ukranians.

John Larkin Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center Lunatic Fringe Electronics

to simply doing the sensible, doing their best to not sell stuff to embargoed countries, because that gets you in to water

afaiu Linear Devices/Analog Devices recently got in a bit of trouble because their parts were found in Iranian drones

I've used Rapidonline from back in the day when they first started. There is also JPR electronics.

Logikhaus Pte. Ltd. ( HTTPS://WWW.Logik.Haus ) announced many days ago that it plans to avoid relying on components from locations from which there are supply-disruption concerns.

Cursitor Doom snipped-for-privacy@notformail.com wrote: |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |"[. . .] They | |held my order in some sort of limbo whilst they investigated me for| |being blacklisted as an enemy agent, just because I use a Russian | |email service!" | |-------------------------------------------------------------------|

I used email (ex-)accounts from countries where I never even visit. A person misjudged where I am from from an email (ex-)account's location. A friend warned me that racists would discriminate against me based on the location domain name in an email address.

It may be convenient to create a new email address. Does anyone recommend any particular email-account providers? I want to use Alpine; but I might use Mutt; Thunderbird; or something else. It does not need to be a gratis email account. (S.

Note that your email account only indicates where that *provider* is (virtually) located. Your email client discloses the IP address from which you post.

So, you may want to pick a provider "somewhere" and use a VPN with an endpoint in/near that same "somewhere" if you are truly concerned.

You've been saying nice things here about Russia Today as a news source for some years. Jim Thompson might have reported you to the FBI.

Dear Don Y:

I appreciate many stimulating and helpful posts by Don Y. Thanks for responding again.

Don Y snipped-for-privacy@foo.invalid wrote: |----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Note that your email account only indicates where that *provider* is | |(virtually) located." | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

That would be so.

|----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Your email client discloses the IP address | |from which you post." | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

An email client can do so, but not all email clients do. However this is of no concern to me. I publish IP addresses which I use. Cf.

RoundCube is not a client which "discloses the IP address from which you post" if this sentence means the IP address from which you access an email server, as opposed to the IP address of an email server (which is obvious from this email address anyway). E.g. a header line in a RoundCube email which I sent from an ex-server is . . . Received-SPF: Pass (mailfrom) identity=mailfrom; client-ip=213.167.244.57; where 213.167.244.57 is for this ex-server.

Even an email sent from a Yahoo! account using the standard Yahoo! web-browser client shows an IP address in a header line with "Received-SPF: Pass (mailfrom) identity=mailfrom; client-ip=" which is not even on the same continent as the person who logged in to send that email.

|----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"So, you may want to pick a provider "somewhere"" | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Indeed. Friends do not empathize with me that I do not deem a server being in a weird, unfamilar country to be a reason to refuse to use it.

|----------------------------------------------------------------------| |" and use a VPN with | |an endpoint in/near that same "somewhere" if you are truly concerned."| |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

A VPN in no way whatsoever tackles what I am concerned about emails. I am concerned about sent emails which never arrive. On

I am concerned about Delivery-Status Notifications. An email-server provider specifically activated DSN functionality only because (only) I (out of probably millions or thousands of users) requested them.

I am concerned about being able to properly and easily back up emails

- e.g. by using Alpine or Mutt. Many email-service providers do not allow IMAP(S) or make using e.g. Alpine awkward.

I am also concerned by Alpine corrupting plain-text non-ASCII attachments (so I zip them or I do not bother to even attach them at all), even though Alpine does not corrupt non-ASCII headers and non-ASCII bodies and non-plain-text attachments (e.g. PDF).

I welcome suggestions for email-service providers to consider!

Many clients record the IP from which you initiate the message. This may be worthless if you are NAT'd at your ISP. Others will encrypt "identifying information" in an X-<header> for their use without making it "public". E.g.,

"paganini.bofh.team; logging-data="3705655"; posting-host="aIceeGQb8jijFuR6cTD++g.user.paganini.bofh.team"; mail-complaints-to=" snipped-for-privacy@bofh.team"; posting-account="9dIQLXBM7WM9KzA+yjdR4A";"

It is unwise to think there is any anonymity there. Regardless of its consequences.

I treat all email addresses as disposable. Folks that I regularly interact with are informed of changes while folks who may have stumbled onto an address are silently "abandoned". Long term relationships have other, more durable, means of contact.

An MX can be blacklisted so it is important to pick providers who don't end up in that situation. This is often the case with "free-mail" accounts -- spammers abuse a particular domain and its easiest for other MXs to simply block mail from that domain -- even if your account is not guilty of spamming.

In many cases, the recipient has control over whether such notifications are sent. So, you can *request* it but never be sure that you will receive it.

If you want reliable indication of a recipient getting something, then you need to craft a unique URN that is highly unlikely to be "guessed" and watch for accesses to it. While not "proof", a reference to it is highly unlikely the result of someone ELSE's actions.

You can always backup the content client-side without the involvement of the server. But, that requires you to have downloaded the message body.

That was another issue I had with Mouser. They maintain various european domains like .de and .fr and whatnot, but they're just portals to their main site in Texas where it seems everything has to come from - and that ain't free or particularly quick for that matter.

RS is still the best service-wise for me. Example: I recently ordered an EHT power supply off them but it was DoA. Most other suppliers, getting that remedied would be a huge PITA, but with RS, you call 'em and get straight through to a human who is typically very apologetic, doesn't argue and offers to send out a replacement immediately. So I didn't even need to return the dead PSU until the following month when I had more time, and they rushed me out a replacement by FedEx which arrived the very next day. You can't get any better than that - especially nowadays. For the avoidance of doubt: the replacement arrived the very next day after I notified them of the fault - *not* the day after I returned the defective unit!

This is a followup to a post by Don Y. I am not responding to and quoting all the valid points by him therein.

Don Y snipped-for-privacy@foo.invalid wrote: |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"> RoundCube is not a client which "discloses the IP address | |> from which you post" if this sentence means the IP address from which| |> you access an email server, as opposed to the IP address of an email | |> server (which is obvious from this email address anyway). E.g. a | |> header line in a RoundCube email which I sent from an ex-server is | | | |Many clients record the IP from which you initiate the message." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

True.

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"[. . .] Others will | |encrypt "identifying information" in an X-<header> for their use | |without making it "public"." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Probably.

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"E.g., | | | |"paganini.bofh.team; logging-data="3705655"; | |posting-host="aIceeGQb8jijFuR6cTD++g.user.paganini.bofh.team"; | |mail-complaints-to=" snipped-for-privacy@bofh.team"; | |posting-account="9dIQLXBM7WM9KzA+yjdR4A";"" | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

This is not an example of an email betraying against a failed attempt at anonymity. This is a quotation by Don Y of the Injection-Info: header of a USENET article (i.e. non-email by me).

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"It is unwise to think there is any anonymity there. [. . .]" | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Even if there is anonymity there, then so what? There is deliberately no anonymity in that USENET article's From: field (which shows the name that identifies me). Furthermore that USENET article's body refers to

I do not intend to send USENET articles and emails with anonymity.

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"I treat all email addresses [. ..] | |[. . .] | |[. . .] Long term | |relationships have other, more durable, means of contact." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Indeed, but I also need trustworthy emails and LinkedIn for important urgent contacts. For example, many days ago we discussed about LinkedIn. I am a client of a person who knew neither an email address nor a telephone number for me. We live very far away from each other. He needed a substantial response within thirty days, so he took the initiative to invite me to connect with him on LinkedIn. I accepted this invitation and I rapidly responded helping him to perform an excellent task for me. I also responded by informing him of email addresses and a telephone number for me.

For example, a jerk - whom I cannot ignore - sent a letter to me on January 27th, 2026 demanding a response within 14 days. This jerk composed this letter months before sending it. I.e. this jerk composed this letter on August 7th, 2025. I.e. this jerk composed this letter five months and twenty days before sending it, leaving myself with fourteen days to respond. So I emailed this response. I hope that you do not need to deal with such jerks. Alas I must deal with these jerks.

|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"You can always backup the content client-side without the involvement | |of the server. But, that requires you to have downloaded the message | |body." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

Ideally so, but in a reality which I suffer, Thunderbird does not properly succeed to do so for an email server which is compatible with neither Alpine nor Mutt. Even if Thunderbird would had backed them up properly, Alpine and Mutt can back up emails to a decent format (mbox)

- but they cannot even log onto this email server.

I stated that it was an example of how that identifying information can be propagated (publicly) in a message yet not parsable by mere mortals: "Others will encrypt 'identifying information' in an X-<header> for their use without making it 'public'."

You are equating anonymity with identity. It can also apply to location -- when you fear that (location) information can bias a service (that you want to use or rely upon) against you.

I'd definitely not send email from a "spammers.r.us" domain!

I only tolerate contact from persons entrusted to safeguard access to me (I dislike unsolicited contacts as I see them as asynchronous interruptions). It's too easy for people to waste your time (and I consider time the most valuable asset).

I've always been restrictive of the types of contact I will tolerate. I gave up my business phone *quickly* as it was too easy for clients to call and waste my time chatting because THEY felt like chatting (do you treat your corporate lawyer the same way? does he bill you for those calls??)

Early on, I moved all business contact to email as it:

- lets me read it at MY convenience (instead of when YOU want me to)

- lets me THINK about my reply (instead of being rushed to shoot from the hip)

- forces the other party to think about their request (invest YOUR time!)

- documents the transaction (so we BOTH remember what was said) Doing so freed up a lot of time that I had previously spent with clients "pondering" potential projects, fishing for "rough estimates", chatting out of boredom, documenting conversations (cuz you know the other party will have selective memory about them, otherwise!), etc.

Friends and associates are aware of this. It makes our relationships far more friendly and productive.

Have you looked at other third-party tools that can make sense of Tbird mailboxes?

Don Y snipped-for-privacy@foo.invalid wrote: |------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"I stated that it was an example of how that identifying information | |can be propagated (publicly) in a message yet not parsable by | |mere mortals: | | "Others will encrypt 'identifying information' in an X-<header> for | | their use without making it 'public'."" | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Oops. Sorry.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"You are equating anonymity with identity." | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Don Y publishes another insightful perspective.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"It can also apply to | |location -- when you fear that (location) information can bias | |a service (that you want to use or rely upon) against you." | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

It is not easy for me to avoid disclosing location information. Persons often misinterpret the area code of the telephone number from which I call, but not by very far.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"> Indeed, but I also need trustworthy emails and LinkedIn for important| |> urgent contacts. For example, many days ago we discussed about | |> LinkedIn. I am a client of a person who knew neither an email address | |> nor a telephone number for me. We live very far away from each | |> other. He needed a substantial response within thirty days, so he took| |> the initiative to invite me to connect with him on LinkedIn. I | |> accepted this invitation and I rapidly responded helping him to | |> perform an excellent task for me. I also responded by informing him of| |> email addresses and a telephone number for me. | | | |[. . .] | |[. . .] (I dislike unsolicited contacts [. . .]" | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This LinkedIn inviter is a person who was already working for me, but we had not informed him of any rapid way (telephones or emails) to contact me, and he realized that for a successful outcome that he has needed a rapid response from me, so he has conveniently used LinkedIn to rapidly ask me a crucial question.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"do you treat [. . .] lawyer[s] | |the same way?" | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Almost. (This LinkedIn inviter was a (non-inhouse) lawyer.) I love telling lawyer jokes to lawyers!

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"does he bill you for those calls?" | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

No.

|------------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Have you looked at other third-party tools that can make sense | |of Tbird mailboxes?" | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|

No. (S.

In the US, your phone number is no longer representative of your actual (or even APPROXIMATE) location.

Over the years, the notion of "local" and "long distance" calls has evolved. Originally, the most local was calls in your exchange (AAA XXX-#### -- the XXX being the exchange). Usually, nearby exchanges were also serviced by the same CO and also treated as "local". E.g., I could call any of my neighbors or the local businesses by dialing just

Calls outside of that area were "in state" long distance (as long as they didn't cross state lines). These required prefacing the 7 digit number with '1' and were typically billed by the minute.

Calls to another area code (which, ages ago, was likely another state) had to include the 3 digit area code and were handled by a "long distance" carrier at a higher per-minute rate.

Back then, phone numbers were the property of THE telephone company. Though rarely would an issued number be revoked and reassigned to another party.

Now, the subscriber has control of "their" phone number, regardless of where they are physically located. So, my neighbor may have a completely different area code that would previously have corresponded to a remote part of the country. "Long distance" is no longer a billing issue (in most/all cases?). But, this means having to dial

The number that appears on the called party's phone (CID) need not correspond to the number from which the call is actually placed. So, relying on it for authentication is foolhardy. (for this reason, folks want to send an SMS to a caller to ensure the number they have actually is theirs)

I rely on "mutual contacts" for that. You got in touch with me THROUGH some party so you can use that party to get BACK in touch with me.

The distance (in time) between contacts determines how easily you can reestablish that contact. If we talked/emailed last week, then you can likely get in tough with me directly. Last year? Plan on putting in an effort.

Likely a good place to start. One of the problems is coming up with "file names" to assign to individual messages extracted from a mailbox. They end up being lengthy and overly informative: Bob_Smith_March_18_2026_154207.txt

The Trumpers in the US were so happy the Iranian people had been liberated, well at least for 5 minutes until the Iranian people didn't all drop to the ground and declare Trump their savior and started fighting back, anyway.

Now they're back to their standard position of "Kill 'em all! Carpet bomb Tehran! Nuke every last one of them."

My goodness, it's like they didn't actually care about the freedom of Shia Islam at all. I am shocked.