# Earthlink is down **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 6, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095 "2018-11-06T20:33:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/21 "2018-11-08T00:21:35Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m honestly amazed to find out Earthlink is still a thing. I wonder if any other Dopers still use it? Inertia is a thing. There are several other services that I use for the same reason - they kind of suck, but changing to something that sucks less would take exactly enough time and effort not to be worth it. > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > OK, I know what I object to about gmail. It’s impossible to get an email address unless you have a mobile phone. I’m quite sure you don’t need a mobile phone to get a gmail address. There are reasons to object to gmail, but that isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/22 "2018-11-08T00:53:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > ??? > > To check, I just created an account and didn’t have to add a phone number or anything. > [@amarinth](#): > > I’m quite sure you don’t need a mobile phone to get a gmail address. Nope. I tried, and you must enter a phone number so that they can text you a code that needs to be entered. I tried not entering a phone number, and it said I had to enter a phone number. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/23 "2018-11-08T00:53:39Z")
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Plenty of people have used the same e-mail address for 30+ years. What’s supposed to be wrong with EarthLink email services? If it is broken, or sucks, or not worth the money, dump it like a truck. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/24 "2018-11-08T00:56:30Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Nope. I tried, and you must enter a phone number so that they can text you a code that needs to be entered. I tried not entering a phone number, and it said I had to enter a phone number. ProtonMail is free and does not require you to link a mobile phone, if you need free webmail. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/25 "2018-11-08T01:31:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Nope. I tried, and you must enter a phone number so that they can text you a code that needs to be entered. I tried not entering a phone number, and it said I had to enter a phone number. Unless that’s a change w/in the past year you are wrong. However, you must set it up from a desktop, (or a mobile browser in desktop mode) to bypass the necessity of a phone #. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/26 "2018-11-08T02:18:27Z")
I don’t have a desktop. Just the MacBook. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/27 "2018-11-08T02:34:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I don’t have a desktop. Just the MacBook. I have no idea why it’s not working for you. I just did it a couple hours ago, also from a MacBook, and there was no requirement to enter phone number. The account just set up, no verification code was needed. I just logged in again and checked, and the phone number field is blank, only with a note that says “add a phone number to help secure your account.” The places that have required phone numbers usually let you enter a landline, anyway, and give you a choice of whether you want the verification code texted to you or if you want a phone call, so you can do it with only a landline. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/28 "2018-11-08T02:54:25Z")
About the only thing I could think of is if somehow you have 2-step verification set up. But, even with that set-up, I can see an option to use a Text Message or Phone call as my second verification step (so I can use a landline), and there’s even an option that says “Don’t want to use text message or voice call? Choose another option.” (Which apparently can be some type of physical security key.) ETA: Now I’m not saying you must use Gmail, or get rid for your Earthlink email or anything like that. If everybody’s got your EarthLink email address, that’s reason enough for me to stick with it. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/29 "2018-11-08T04:15:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I don’t have a desktop. Just the MacBook. In the grand division of user interfaces of desktop vs mobile, that MacBook falls squarely on the side of ‘desktop’. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/30 "2018-11-08T16:22:00Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Plenty of people have used the same e-mail address for 30+ years. Plenty of people have had the same email address since 1988? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/31 "2018-11-08T18:03:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I have no idea why it’s not working for you. I just did it a couple hours ago, also from a MacBook, and there was no requirement to enter phone number. The account just set up, no verification code was needed. I just logged in again and checked, and the phone number field is blank, only with a note that says “add a phone number to help secure your account.” Same. In fact I just tried it and it says in the blank phone field, “Phone Number (optional)” ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/32 "2018-11-08T20:48:14Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m honestly amazed to find out Earthlink is still a thing. I wonder if any other Dopers still use it? Not only do I use it but my e-mail is actually [Netcom.com](http://Netcom.com) and not just [netcom.com](http://netcom.com) it is [ix.netcom.com](http://ix.netcom.com) because Netcom saved their regular domain for the people using just shell accounts. I wanted to upgrade from a shell account to something that could actually use this newfangled World Wide Web I heard about so they said you get to be [ix.netcom.com](http://ix.netcom.com). This was in 95 or 96 I guess? (prior to that after I left college I used a shell account hosted by a local ISP which I think was literally some kid in his basement). What does this have to do with Earthlink you ask? Well Mindspring bought Netcom and Earthlink, in turn, bought Mindspring so I have an Earthlink account. They were also my ISP for DSL service until I finally got Cable internet. I still pay them a few bucks a month to keep my e-mail because I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/33 "2018-11-08T21:15:46Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > not just [netcom.com](http://netcom.com) it is [ix.netcom.com](http://ix.netcom.com)… Yep. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095/34 "2018-11-08T21:49:37Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Plenty of people have had the same email address since 1988? :dubious: Sure. If they have worked at the same place or with the same organization. “Plenty” does not mean “a majority of people with active email addresses today”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-is-down/824095.md?page=1)