Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.5.2)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages
OS:                Linux

If there are problems with my IMAP server, I get a constant chain of repetitive error messages that do not go stop. I have noticed differing behavior depending on the type of error:

a) If there is a network connection error and the host can not be found, I get a message saying this and no more annoying messages arrive.

b) Sometimes our work IMAP server reports a strange error "Element not found" kmail (or kontact) throws up two different dialog boxes to advise me of the error, the second one appears straight after I dismiss the first. Then, kmail immediately rechecks the IMAP server, and after a very small network delay, throws up the same BLOCKING dialog boxes again... and again.. and again... and again... and so on.

I consider the handling of (a) to be suitable, I should NEVER see that same error message again until I either:

1) Restart kmail/kontact.
or 
2) Manually ask it to re-check mail by using either: menu bar, tool bar or F5

The handling of other(seems to be other than could not find host) error messages is currently woefull. My solution to this is to go into config and change the hostname to something that is invalid to stop the error messages, later I can try and change it back to see if the server is up and running again. There are two ways for me to do this:
1) Unplug my network cable AND dissable wireless.
2) Spend a couple of minutes trying to be super-quick on the mouse and keyboard and get one click in between each set of dialog boxes, this is not helped by the fact that KDE puts the configuration dialog boxes into the background whenever it pops up the stupid error dialogs and sometimes the alt-tab does not behave how you want, i.e. not consistently.