Now it's slow and inadequate. The internet gateways rarely work right under load, resulting in delays between real email on the internet and internal FirstClass mail. The server software is not scalable to more than one server computer, making the system a single point of failure. IF it could be distributed to several machines across campus, the load could be similarly distributed. The whole campus is just too big for any one box.
Conferences totally lack structure.
They're ok for chatting, but poor for organizing information, such as a course. It lacks the ability to integrate with other email systems around campus, though people will tell you it does. Many students already have email accounts before coming to UMaine. Compared to standard Internet mail, FirstClass is strange and cumbersome. It doesn't even meet windows standards for software.