Computer ISP question?

[serryjw]

When I switch from AT&T dial up to Comcast how do I switch over all my emails so I can keep them?

[Deja Q]

1. Set up comcast, forward the e-mails, then drop AT&T

Forwarding them to your new acct.

Time consuming, but effective...

I might recommend a web-based e-mail system if you're prone to ISP-hopping... :D

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Are you using an email program, or do you do it through a browser?

Are you using an email address you got from your dialup, or using a public one like yahoo or hotmail?

I don't know why people do their email through a browser, but a lot sure seem to do so.

If you are using yahoo or hotmail, then it doesn't matter what your ISP is.

If you are using your ISP's email account, AND if you have your own program (like Eudora, or Pegasus or The Bat!) it's easy, because the email is yours, and on your harddrive, so you don't have to worry about it. You just change the settings to your new account.

If you are using your ISP's email account AND using a browser, then first, let me :spank: you, and then tell you to get an email program so you can download all the email in your account so it's on your harddrive and then switch ISPs.

[serryjw]

3. MOST is in my Outlook Express

email AFTER I got smart. I have a bunch from years ago that I would like to take if I can. I hadn't thought of just emailing myself.
I posted a few days ago and no one answered. I also have a Yahoo that I use when I don't want to give my AT&T address to someone. What free email do you all use? I am mad at Yahoo. I can't find a c/s email address for them when you have a problem that is NOT an email problem. Do you use MSN or Yahoo or some other?

[mwooldri]

4. I'm my own ISP (kinda) for most part...

I use webmail because I use multiple computers. Saves being tied to one place and not having my emails, etc. to hand.

I was switching around internet service providers from time to time for connectivity, but I bought my own domain name and hosting space and ever since then I've had the same email address and it won't change even if I hop from AOL to AT&T to RoadRunner to Earthlink or Whoever Comes Next.

Now with my hosting space comes a webmail service, but I have had some unreliable hosts in the past, and that meant my email service was doing yoyo impressions. Ever since then, I have separated my email from my webhosting - also separate from my connectivity. I buy in bulk (by the year), so no monthly recurring bills. My email is handled through my registrar now (Godaddy.com) who actually provide a reasonably OK email interface, plus of course since I pay for it, i have no adverts.

If I didn't have other commitments for my webspace (I host for friends as well as for me), I'd just shut down the hosting, and have the email provided through GoDaddy instead.

I just feel that $40/yr for 2GB of email space, 100 email addresses (maximum) and my own domain that more personally identifies me is worth the money spent. The domain name itself is crucial because if I find a better deal/service for email service I can change services and my email address just does not change.

Unfortunately I do get spammed to death but spam filtering is OK.

Mark.

PS: if anyone needs email etc I think there's a private message button...

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Well, anything in your outlook will be saved when you change ISPs,

since it's all on your harddrive.

All you have to do is change the settings to your new ISP, and all will be well and good.

I have one yahoo account I use for my shitwork - ebay, or anything that I don't want my "real" address given out for.

For my real email, I bought my own domain, which is so nice to have, and it's hosted by a friend who has his own servers, so my tech help is pretty easy, and it's free (except for the cost of the domain). :-)

I would suggest that you not go with any ISP's email, since they will all get hit heavy by spammers, because spammers know there are millions of people on AT&T and yahoo and hotmail, and just generate random lists of names and blast mail them all out.

My suggestion is that you check out fastmail.fm - I'm using it for another account, having it aliased for another domain that I bought. but you don't have to do that, you can just get a fastmail.fm account, which I think is maybe $10 a year, and it's IMAP capable, POP capable, and also all your email is viewable through the web. So you can download it to your own email program, and when you're traveling, if you don't take your computer with you, you can check your mail on any computer that has Internet access.

And fastmail.fm has some pretty good spam filtering software, but even more importantly, they have great customer support and they are a GREAT place to do business. I've had an account with them for about 1.5 years, and a friend of mine has had an account for 4 or 5 years, and raved (and still raves) about it constantly.

I recommend it highly. It will get you away from the free shitty ones, and it's also ISP independant, so you can change ISPs all you want with no worries.

i also suggest you ditch Outlook Express and get a good email program, like Eudora, Pegasus, or evcen better, The Bat!, which i've used for years and it's the only software program that I **refuse** to live without. (http://www.ritlabs.com)

[serryjw]

7. Let me share my email fantasy with you!

I will ditch Outlook Express when I find a program that will let me do these 2 things

1) I want to be able to change an INCOMING email subject line. I must have 500 emails that say "Bush SUCKS!". How the hell am I suppose to remember what the body of the email says??

2) I want to be able to HIGHLIGHT parts of the INCOMING email just like you would in hard copy. There is a reason WHY I kept that email. I Don't want to read the entire of of text to find AGAIN!


If you can fulfill my fantasy, let me know. I would be much in your debt

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Eudora lets you change the subject line, and...

lets you edit anything in the message body, unlike some other email clients that have some philosophical aversion to editing email.

I'm not sure about highlighting, but I've simply deleted the bullshit parts of messages or moved the important stuff to the top. Just downloaded ther latest version and haven't checked out all the new stuff-- might be in there somewhere.

It's also got an internal search feature like Gmail has, but it runs through all your mailboxes on your own machine. That's something I use all the time.

BTW, one of our DUer's appears to own LeftWeb.com, which sells email service and other stuff. Haven't used him yet so can't vouch for the service, but keeping it "in the family" is an attractive idea.

[serryjw]

9. Thanks I'll check our Eudora

n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Not sure just what you're asking...

If you just want to keep the emails you're seeing on webmail, just get OE, Eudora or some other mail program to download them before you cancel. AT&T should have POP3 access so that shouldn't be a problem.

If you mean how do you get emails forwarded from people who don't have your new email addy and still send to AT&T, you're basically out of luck. You gotta tell each one of them about your new addy. When I had DSL, I still kept the Earthlink account (so old it was a MindSpring addy) for just that reason.

Now, after shitcanning Earthlink, I am seeing the great advantage of things like Gmail and Yahoo which won't change whether I do or not. I don't like webmail much, but Yahoo does have POP3 access, and no ads, for about 20 bucks a year. For a little more money you can get your own domain address with Yahoo, and more email addys. OK, you don't like Yahoo for other reasons, but their mail service is one of the best. (security and snooping are probably no worse than anyone else)

As someone else said, Godaddy will sell you a domain, webspace, and more email service than you'd probably ever need for not much money at all-- enough for all your friends and family who might even pitch in for the cost. There are some others who will do the same, and most of the big guys are reliable. In the long run, a permanent email address not tied to an ISP is a damn good idea, what with all the switching around of ISPs everyone is doing now.