# On the use of 'legacy' email addresses. . **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 28, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601 "2022-01-28T23:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/41 "2022-01-29T13:39:47Z")
I have a nice little income stream working as a slumlord in GeoCities. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/42 "2022-01-29T13:56:51Z")
My oldest and second oldest email addresses are from companies that are defunct. At some point i bought a domain, [myname.us](http://myname.us), and mail sent to that address has reached me ever since. But i don’t actually own a mail server, so that address doesn’t play well with the Gmail interface. So i use fastmail, a Canadian company that sells email. They have good spam filters, and i can access my email through any browser or through most email apps. (Including the Gmail app, although i don’t like it for various reasons.) I also have a Gmail account, because i need it as my id for my Android phone and to access Google drive. But i mostly don’t use it for email. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/43 "2022-01-29T14:00:22Z")
I have a Yahoo account from back when it was my main front page. A long time ago I tried to use it only for signing up on websites, so all of the spam would go to the Yahoo email, and keep my active Verizon email inbox clean. But that ship sailed… I did set up a handful of Gmail accounts, for demonstration purposes for work products, but have never used one actively. So, my day-to-day is still Verizon (which got folded into the AOL system, but kept the original addressing). ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/44 "2022-01-29T14:20:22Z")
My first email was AOL but I lost that in the 2001 divorce. I moved to Yahoo which is my emergency backup email. Gmail is my primary. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/45 "2022-01-29T15:33:15Z")
When I graduated from college, we couldn’t keep our email addresses. It was only later that they allowed students to keep their college addresses, and then allowed alumni to get email addresses from that domain as well. If I still had that one, it was all of 2 letters and 2 numbers long, plus the school and .edu. I never had an hotmail account, but I have three in my contacts list. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/46 "2022-01-29T15:58:22Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > To me, “legacy” implies something inherited from a defunct service provider or that otherwise might soon disappear. On the other hand, if your e-mail address from 1985 is still going strong, it’s just an email address, not a “legacy”. All along I’ve been wondering what, according to the OP, makes something “legacy.” What’s wrong with an old email address that still works fine? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/47 "2022-01-29T17:02:06Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Because he doesn’t know how to measure using nanometers? > [@Riemann](#): > > Is it mightier than a sword? Seems like you doubters need Bitcoin Detox Cleanses to remove your Skin Tags Pain Free. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/48 "2022-01-29T19:35:38Z")
I have 2 Yahoo e-mail addresses. One is for personal use. The other is for business and governmnet use. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/49 "2022-01-29T20:21:54Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > To me, “legacy” implies something inherited from a defunct service provider or that otherwise might soon disappear. On the other hand, if your e-mail address from 1985 is still going strong, it’s just an email address, not a “legacy”. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > All along I’ve been wondering what, according to the OP, makes something “legacy.” What’s wrong with an old email address that still works fine? In my jobby-job’s parlance, “legacy” means '_old/hand-me-downs, but still serviceable_." For example, the A-10 and F-16 are ‘legacy airframes’ that are in the active inventory after ~20-30 years, still working fine relatively speaking. I, personally, consider the ‘legacy’ line in the sand around 20 years. I reckon another word would be “_vintage_”. Tripler “_It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage. ._ ." - Indiana Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/50 "2022-01-29T20:32:20Z")
So are we having this discussion on a legacy message board? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/51 "2022-01-29T20:34:58Z")
I would say so, even though it got some new paint. AFAIK, it’s still the same guts. I wouldn’t send this board in a head-to-head dogfight with an F-22 though. Tripler I don’t know the last time Cecil engaged with A-A missiles. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/52 "2022-01-29T20:47:18Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > What’s wrong with an old email address that still works fine? Assuming that the provider still has a good spam filter, and is continuing to upgrade their account safety protocols, I don’t think that there’s anything “wrong” with it at all. If it works, there’s no good reason to stop using it. That said, a moment of googling tells me that there are indeed people (including, apparently, industry professionals) who look down on old-school email providers (particularly AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo), viewing people who (still) use those for their email as not keeping up with the times. I sometimes joke that my AOL address implies, “Yes, I Am Old.” That may not be a good reason to change, and it may not be a fair perception, but it is a thing. Also, Hotmail, in particular, historically got a bad reputation because of some security issues, and weak spam filtering, but that was like twenty years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/53 "2022-01-29T23:24:28Z")
I’ve been using email for 37 years and see no reason to change. Although I don’t think bitnet addresses still work. But as a prof. emeritus, use the mcgill.ca domain. I could change to gmail (what my phone wants to do), but having two addresses is too painful to contemplate. And I just can’t learnt to text with my big fat fingers. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/54 "2022-01-30T02:27:19Z")
I can shorten my @protonmail.com address to end in @pm.me and it’s very secure w/ encryption. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/55 "2022-01-30T02:34:42Z")
I was almost forty years old when I started surfing the web in 1999. I had deja, Remarq, AltaVista, Bolt, Hotmail, and AOL addresses, as well as Yahoo, which I now use for all e-mail purposes. When I finally got an Android phone a few years ago, I was given a Gmail account, but I never check it, and am only reminded of its existence when I receive a text notifying me some spammer has found me. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/56 "2022-01-30T13:01:59Z")
I have both hotmail and yahoo accounts for my username, as well as a first-initial-last-name at a more professional account from when I was still working. For whatever reason, my mom and siblings still contact me via the hotmail and yahoo accounts, but mostly, those are used when some annoying site requires an email for confirmation. My other account is used for more legitimate purposes - like places I order from frequently or serious correspondence with credit unions, etc. My husband doesn’t understand why I do this, but then he complains about his email being flooded with spam and such. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/57 "2022-01-30T14:15:29Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > I can shorten my @protonmail.com address to end in @pm.me and it’s very secure w/ encryption. It’s not secure if everyone you mail to can read it, and if they can mail to you. I briefly thought that by not using Gmail routinely i was giving Google a little less info about me. Then i realized that at least 90% of my personal email is sent to or comes from a Gmail account. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/58 "2022-01-30T14:56:36Z")
I am so sad that somewhere at the turn of the century/millenium I forgot my [cs.com](http://cs.com) password when I bought a new computer, I would love to have kept it. My first e-mail address… 😢 💔 Now AOL claims my old address does not even exist. > [@Riemann](#): > > Like writing with a quill pen and inkwell. The quill pen on a tablet is cool, but the inkwell blots the screen. > [@Riemann](#): > > Google […] the spam filtering is almost infallible. […] it’s uncanny how good it is. Makes my paranoid me wonder if they do read the content after all, despite their assurances not to. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/59 "2022-01-30T15:00:12Z")
I’m going to say their spam filter is fallible. I’ve sent stuff to friends, and they’ve asked for the information, and when i assured them i sent an email, they found it in the “don’t need to look at these” folder. I think it’s because i use a .us domain. But it’s sporadic, and this happens to people who get most of my email. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601/60 "2022-01-30T15:27:47Z")
We have a lot of SDMB users who have yahoo addresses, which I know because yahoo has an annoying tendency to filter off our password reset emails and other important emails, making it very difficult for some people to access their SDMB account. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-use-of-legacy-email-addresses/958601.md?page=4)