# Suggest an online email account
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 20, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168 "2011-06-20T16:46:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/1 "2011-06-20T16:46:50Z")
I won’t go into detail about the frustration at having my 12 yr old hotmail blocked due to an alleged hacking (but really the only info I haven’t provided to prove it IS my account is my DNA) … So long story short - who should I choose as a replacement ?
I’m a tad leery of gmail simply because Google will soon own the world …
Yahoo - no views either way …
Do I have any other options ?
What do you think ? I rarely need to send documents, images a bit more frequently but mostly just text. And I think I’ve learned my lesson and won’t be using it to store stuff.
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### Author:  [@Blackhawk441](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackhawk441)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/2 "2011-06-21T04:07:54Z")
> [@Cat\_Jones](#):
>
> I won’t go into detail about the frustration at having my 12 yr old hotmail blocked due to an alleged hacking (but really the only info I haven’t provided to prove it IS my account is my DNA) … So long story short - who should I choose as a replacement ?
>
> I’m a tad leery of gmail simply because Google will soon own the world …
> Yahoo - no views either way …
>
> Do I have any other options ?
> What do you think ? I rarely need to send documents, images a bit more frequently but mostly just text. And I think I’ve learned my lesson and won’t be using it to store stuff.
Gmail is head and shoulders above the competition, but your privacy concerns are somewhat valid. This thread is better suited for IMHO, however. (Mods?)
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### Author:  [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/3 "2011-06-21T04:37:25Z")
> [@Blackhawk441](#):
>
> This thread is better suited for IMHO, however. (Mods?)
[moderating]
Quite true, since it is soliciting opinions rather than an objectively factual answer.
Thread moved from GQ to IMHO.
[/moderating]
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### Author:  [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/4 "2011-06-21T04:38:00Z")
I personally agree that it’s a solicitation for opinions, not factual answers. But that’s just me; I’m not a mod.
I like gmail just fine, but I can see your reasons for being a little leery. Yahoo has also served me well when I needed an email address. Here’s an article reviewing those and other free services - no idea how good or worthwhile the article is, though:
[http://free-email-services-review.toptenreviews.com/](http://free-email-services-review.toptenreviews.com/)
If you want to avoid all the possible issues with ads, cookies, and all that, Outlook is capable of talking to mail servers for a number of decent email providers with very simple setup.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/5 "2011-06-22T15:15:48Z")
> [@inkling](#):
>
> …
>
> If you want to avoid all the possible issues with ads, cookies, and all that, Outlook is capable of talking to mail servers for a number of decent email providers with very simple setup.
Yup - even gmail. I don’t use it that way, but when I first went to gmail I set it up (Outlook Express actually) to see if I could.
If that’s your preference, then you have the web-based access as a fallback if you need to check mail away from home.
I’d suspect Yahoo mail can be set up for download as well.
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### Author:  [@bahia\_hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahia_hombre)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/6 "2011-06-22T18:01:00Z")
I like Yahoo a lot, especially since they’ve made some recent improvements. I still prefer the folders meme over Gmail’s labels.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/7 "2011-06-22T18:14:44Z")
> [@bahia\_hombre](#):
>
> I like Yahoo a lot, especially since they’ve made some recent improvements. I still prefer the folders meme over Gmail’s labels.
Whether truly Yahoo!'s fault or not, it may be too early to say for sure that a friend’s Yahoo! Mail account was hacked yesterday and she fears everybody on her list (including me) has been affected. Just saying.
I use EarthLink’s Web Mail which is part of my EarthLink ISP account. It’s had a few smallish problems over the years but I’m 90% happy with it.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/8 "2011-06-22T18:20:16Z")
> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> Whether truly Yahoo!'s fault or not, it may be too early to say for sure that a friend’s Yahoo! Mail account was hacked yesterday and she fears everybody on her list (including me) has been affected. Just saying…
I have seen a number of friends’ yahoo accounts compromised - including several who’ve “been mugged somewhere in the UK”.
I haven’t noticed any particular instances of this happening with gmail accounts.
Not sure why, just offering a data point.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/9 "2011-06-22T19:13:21Z")
> [@Blackhawk441](#):
>
> Gmail is head and shoulders above the competition, but your privacy concerns are somewhat valid. This thread is better suited for IMHO, however. (Mods?)
Thanks and sorry - haven’t posted for a while.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/10 "2011-06-22T19:14:54Z")
Thanks for all your input. I’m off to do some reading.
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### Author:  [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/11 "2011-06-22T19:39:23Z")
Were I creating a new email address today I would:
Buy my own domain (\<$12/yr), from many places, such as [http://www.godaddy.com/domains/search.aspx?ci=8969](http://www.godaddy.com/domains/search.aspx?ci=8969)
Use [Zoneedit.com](http://Zoneedit.com) for DNS (free)
Sign up for Google apps (free).
That gets you gmail level service, with the ability to migrate to whoever you want without losing your email address since you own the domain.
IE your email, even though it is on gmail, would be [me@cat-jones.net](mailto:me@cat-jones.net) or something like that.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/12 "2011-06-22T20:21:35Z")
That sounds interesting thanks, will get my tech-ier other half to look into it.
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### Author:  [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/13 "2011-06-22T20:24:53Z")
If you have your own domain you can configure Gmail to pull in mail from that account. No need for the other steps.
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### Author:  [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-an-online-email-account/586168/14 "2011-06-22T20:30:57Z")
Thats only if you have an email provider already elsewhere - the other steps are for a fresh domain to get gmail without buying email service from someone else.