Time to Change

[Rick Munroe]

No, not the Brady Bunch song. I'm finally ready to ditch AOL (their new email-tax scheme helped me make up my mind). People have been advising me to leave for a long time and I didn't stay out of loyalty or laziness...I just really like the way their email works (eg, the separate little windows that open up). But I really think it's time to move on and stop tossing AOL an unnecessary $15 a month just for email when I can get it free elsewhere.

 

So...although I know this has been asked before, I'm asking: to whom do I switch? I just created a yahoo account and a gmail account 2 days ago (I was going to do hotmail but these 2 seem to be the most popular). Just now, the gmail one already had a few spam emails in the inbox (and 12 in the spam folder) and seemed a bit slow to open. The yahoo page seemed to load faster, but I like the whole gmail "threaded email conversation" system. Any thoughts?

 

Also, I plan to get a Palm Treo phone soon, so which one would be better for checking email that way?

[Guest skrubber]

Congrats on ditching AOL. In my opinion it's a good move. I encourage everyone I know using it to do so. If all you need a connection for is email I suggest yahoo.

[DelawareGuy]

I have a G-Mail account and I'm quite pleased with it. I think you're going to get spam no matter what kind of account you have. G-Mail does a good job of putting your conversations with someone in order. You can download a little app that will check the mail every two minutes so you don't have to log in and see if you have any mail. It puts a little icon in your system tray.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[seaboy4hire]

Rick congrats on getting rid of AOL and moving into the 21st century. I don't use gmail but I do use hotmail and rare do I get spam in that box. I think this is do to the fact that that I haven't signed up for anything using that email addy. Also good choice on the Treo. That lil bugger has saved me hours of bordome on the lunches I am forced to take at work. The Treo has a stripped down version of yahoo which loads pretty quickly but I perfer the pc version of yahoo. Unfortuately sometimes the screan will say I need to load java to support it. I have no idea on how to do this but will hopefully soon. Check out Borders books, there is a pda/Palm useres bible that is chopped full of info. I just started reading it and it puts me to sleep every time. If ya got any questions about the Treo let me know and I'd be happy to try to answer them.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[email protected] http://seaboy4hire.tripod.com

Palm Springs April 28th and 29th.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b310/NobodyKnowsMe/sinz.gif

[+ deej]

Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail are the best-known freebies. But remember that then you're relying on a free service *staying* free. :-( Hotmail has already removed features from their free accounts to goad people into upgrading to paid accounts. The others will follow.

 

A far better (and not too expensive) alternative is to register your own domain and park it at a cheap hosting service. That way the email address exists for as long as YOU want it to exist, not at the mercy of some "free" online service.

 

As an example, I just checked on the domain rickandderek.net. It's available! You can register it for $8.88/year (see http://www.namecheap.com). You can have that domain hosted for around $4-5/month. Sure it's a little more than the free services, but it's permanent. (Well, as long as you pay the bill.)

 

It's just one more thing to consider. Wouldn't it be cool to have your email address be [email protected]? The .org variant is available too, which could prove interesting. "My address is rick at rickandderek dot orgy".

[Funseeker 22]

Rick,

You`d better grab the one the Deej suggests before some other `scort claims it and does client pre screening.

;)

[Rick Munroe]

Thanks, deej. I already own the domain rickandderek.com (I've had it for a few years now) but just never did anything with it yet. I didn't realize I could use it for email without actually having a website (i'm kinda dumb that way). I'm still a little unclear about the whole thing...maybe I should email you!

[+ deej]

When I saw rickandderek.com was taken, I figured it was you. ;-) I still think you should grab the .org variant as well.

 

Since you have the domain, you could get a cheap hosting plan somewhere like GoDaddy.com (no relation!). Once you're hosted, you'll have email that YOU control.

 

You never have to put up a website, but it will give you a reliable place to park pictures (like your avatar which isn't coming up tonight at all).

 

>maybe I should email you!

 

Feel free, although I'll give you a homework assignment. You'll have to come back to this thread and post a summary of the how-to details so everyone can learn from the discussion.

[Rick Munroe]

>When I saw rickandderek.com was taken, I figured it was you.

 

Guess what? I just went to check and it was me but apparently I forgot to renew it (I never got a renewal reminder) and it was snatched up by some corporation in Denver, CO. Why do they want my domain name? Are they planning to try to sell it back to me for profit? Well, they can keep it because I just thought up a better, cleverer name and registered it.

 

>You never have to put up a website, but it will give you a

>reliable place to park pictures (like your avatar which isn't

>coming up tonight at all).

 

Even nude hardon pics? Or will they censor? And are they a good host for when I (finally) put up an actual site?

 

>You'll have to come back to this thread and post a summary of

>the how-to details so everyone can learn from the discussion.

 

I'm really bad at homework assignments so let's just discuss it here, I guess. But stop giving people ideas on how to steal my name(s)!

[Rick Munroe]

>Congrats on ditching AOL.

 

Do they have a Hallmark card for that?

[Rick Munroe]

>I

>think you're going to get spam no matter what kind of account

>you have.

 

AOL is actually really good with spam; I never get any! But I will give gmail a try, too.

[Rick Munroe]

>Rick congrats on getting rid of AOL and moving into the 21st

>century.

 

Thanks...like I said above, I wonder if there's a greeting card for that. So many people get really excited when you tell them you're ditching AOL. It's like a coming-of-age thing. I feel so...grown up.

 

>If ya got any questions about the Treo

>let me know and I'd be happy to try to answer them.

 

Thanks...I probably will. My primary goal is to have my appointments organized when we travel. Right now, I keep everything on scraps of paper and backs of envelopes. It's worked when I stayed home but on the road, now that we're "touring escorts," it's total insanity to keep it all straight. :o

[Guest empire]

Godaddy.com will park your domain for free and even throw in a first class web based email service if you register it with them. Their fee is genrally under $9. for a new domain name.

[+ deej]

>snatched up by some corporation in

>Denver, CO. Why do they want my domain name? Are they

>planning to try to sell it back to me for profit?

 

Yes, actually. There's a tidy business in domain name "squatting". TotallyOz has said several times he's made a lot of money from it.

 

Pornstars started adding XXX to the end of their names to get a domain because squatters saw their name first and staked it out.

 

>Even nude hardon pics? Or will they censor? And are they a

>good host for when I (finally) put up an actual site?

 

That depends on the host company and their hosting agreement. GoDaddy is good because they're cheap if all you need is email. But you're not stuck with the host once you own the domain. If you later need more than what the host can provide, you can move your domain to another host.

 

Domain registration and domain hosting are completely separate things, no matter how much the vendors want to convince you otherwise.

[Rick Munroe]

Does GoDaddy have any restrictions on adult content? Or will I be able to have "x" photos with no problem? I thought I had read once that I needed to find a host who was OK with hosting sites of a sexual nature.

[Guest empire]

I own two hardcore gay porn sites that are hosted on Godaddy. I've never even received a minor concern from them. However, due to the cost of bandwidth I'll soon be moving those sites to another host. I've spoken to support several times, they've had to seen my sites to help and never said a negative word. Great service, excellent free email account and simple to use tools.

 

If you plan to put up an escort site you won't have a single problem. Just one heads up. If you purchase your domain name from Godaddy in addition to the first class web based email account they throw in a free starter web site. You're NOT allowed to have any adult material on the free starter site. The only reason for this is because it carries the Godaddy logo on it.

 

Deej is right get your own domain, use a host based email service and when you're ready set up an escort web site. Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail are all ok but not reliable. In fact, Yahoo and Hotmail will soon be switching to new email formats that are very ad heavy and not very user friendly.

 

Good luck Rick.

[Guest zipperzone]

>Thanks...I probably will. My primary goal is to have my

>appointments organized when we travel. Right now, I keep

>everything on scraps of paper and backs of envelopes. It's

>worked when I stayed home but on the road, now that we're

>"touring escorts," it's total insanity to keep it all

>straight. :o

 

I know this will sound like I'm advocating going back to the quill - but - have you ever considered using a plain old "Daytimer". There is something comfortably low-tech about them that I like and the small binder they come with also acts as a wallet in that it holds credit cards etc.

 

I've tried the hi-tech route but truly prefer the old tried & true handwritten Daytimer (or DayRunner - there are a number of them out there) And you are never at the mercy of the cyber fairies.

[Rick Munroe]

Thanks; that was very helpful. You wouldn't mind emailing me, would you, in case I have any more questions? I have come to rely on the kindness of strangers. [email protected]

[Rick Munroe]

>and the small binder they come with also acts as a

>wallet in that it holds credit cards etc.

 

That does me no good, zipper, since Derek has taken away my credit cards (I guess I bought one too many new hats, just like Lucy). :+

 

>I've tried the hi-tech route but truly prefer the old tried &

>true handwritten Daytimer (or DayRunner)

 

But I want to play with the little stick thingy that you use with a Palm! I like anything phallic, even if it's small and pointy.

[Guest ncm2169]

< AOL is actually really good with spam; I never get any!

 

Yeah, but they're always fuckin with their spam controls and you may never know how much mail just never receive. x(

[Guest ncm2169]

gmail, hands down. nothing else even comes close.

 

I finally cut the AOL cord last Fall after nearly 10 years. The only thing I miss is the chatrooms, but they're so full of bullshit artists even that's a small price to pay to be rid of AOHell.}(

[Guest PWIT]

There is also AIM email...I know it is part of AOL, but it is free. Even if you drop AOL as your ISP, you may still want to keep the free AOL Instant Messenger - and the newest version (AIM Triton) ties well to the free email. http://www.aim.com for more info.

[Candyman]

Now Rick you must tell me your new email address so that we can keep in touch