Monday, March 16th, 2009
John C. Dvorak has a nice piece in PC Magazine called “9 Reasons E-Mail Is Dead“. He has composed a list of behaviors or features of e-mail that has all but killed it as an efficient tool of communication. I have sort of written on his first complaint, “The ever-changing address”, previously at Useless Nexus when I wrote about what a terrible idea it is to use your ISPs email address. Over all, I agree with his assessment despite my love of email.
I once wrote a piece on my ideal of a modern communication tool. The idea was basically one drop box that recieves all the messages sent to me from the many places I am. This box would recieve messages from Twitter, e-mail, SMS, comment replies, voicemail, and all the other bacn that websites and communication services generate. This box would have an intelligence that would allow me to route these messages to the locations I want to receive it based upon who sent it, the time of day, or where I am. Then I could reply in the form I choose. But my response would be routed back to the sender and delivered the way they want to recieve it.
Communication message how I want, where I want from whom I want, when I want it!
I think the day that technology will make this possbile is approaching. Google Voice/GrandCentral may be a move in the right direction. If Google integrates Google Voice with Gmail and GTalk and allows for the same management capability and transcription Google Voice then it might be possible.
This doesn’t solve a single porblem of John C. Dvorak‘s list. But it at least gets each individual the power to choose how they want to communicate. The future could be very cool!
Tags: email, Google, John C. Dvorak, list, PC Mag
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Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
A few days ago, I wrote an article, Don’t Use Your ISP for Email. At the end, I suggested that you just get a domain account from Google Apps Standard Edition. Today, I was listening to Buzz Out Loud 909: The 404 hacks Natali’s computer and was reminded that Microsoft has a similar offer. Office Live Small Business allows you to have a domain and email and more.
I used it when it first came out a few years ago but prefered Google’s offer. Since then I have just forgotten about it. But if you are looking for an easy and inexpensive place to host your own domain and manage your own email then Microsoft is worth a look too.
And of course DreamHost Apps, can give you some other options and Google Apps.
Tags: Buzz Out Loud, domain, DreamHost, email, Google, ISP, Microsoft, Office Live, service
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Sunday, February 8th, 2009
Last weekend, FairPoint Communications found themselves in a big mess while taking over the email of their customers since they bought the landlines and phone services in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont from Verizon. I can’t say I understand what happened. It sounds like server problems in handling the domain change due to the hand over of account control.
You can read about this at the Concord Monitor website.
This incident highlights something I’ve been telling friends and family for years. Do NOT use the free email from your ISP. It’s tied to the ISP! If they change ownership or you decide to change to a different service provider then you will be forced to change your email address. That’s never a good experience. In fact, I personally find it more of a hassle then changing phone numbers.
Dick Eastman has written a great article entitled, “Why You Need a Second (and Better) E-mail Address“. Hat tip to the Maine Genealogical Society where I first read the Mr. Eastman’s article.
I agree with everything Mr. Eastman says. Gmail is my favorite as well. Free Gmail or Yahoo mail or whatever is an improvement over being stuck to a particular ISP’s email. But I might go even one step further and suggest you take a look at Google Apps Standard Edition. For a very small annual fee you could have Google manage email at your own domain. By owning your domain then you never have to fear it changing. And if Google does not satisfy you then simply move your domain to another host. Your own domain puts you in complete control!
Don’t Use Your ISP for Email!
Tags: domain, email, Fairpoint, free, Google, ISP, problems, service
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