sending email through hotmail

is it possible for me to create an email program using VB to send email via my hotmail account without using any intermediate email software?

I doubt, that this can be done, because hotmail wants you to pass the login screen, thus you will probably be always redirected to that screen.

You can specify Hotmail as a mail server with OutlookExpress 5.0 and it will download your mail without going through the browser login screen. So obviously it can be done, but I don't know specifically what mail server you would specify outside of the OutlookExpress environment as that functionality is built in.

Sky1000