You should take this discussion off list.

Tell me Dem.... which part of my original question was not fit for the list ?  It was a perfectly valid technical question relating to Dovecot, and according to the description of the mailing list "This is the main list for requesting help with Dovecot or talking about it in general"

So I was "requesting help" with Dovecot, and everyone else is perfectly within their rights to "talk about it".