Is that the right term? I have ATT internet and my email is sbcglobal, and I use Yahoo mail as...host(?) I've been getting the notice that Yahoo is now part of "Oath" and have read the terms of agreement. It seems very intrusive to me. What is your preferred email location and how do I switch from Yahoo? TIA.

I use mail.com and have for several years. I pay for their premium service. Seems like it's about $20 a year. Works great for me on my phone and my computer using the web interface or Outlook client.

John

I use Gmail and ProtonMail (encrypted) as my main email.

I also have my own domain that his hosted at HostGator with several email addresses on my domain.

I use gmail and hotmail.

quote:

Originally posted by amals:
Is that the right term? I have ATT internet and my email is sbcglobal, and I use Yahoo mail as...host(?) I've been getting the notice that Yahoo is now part of "Oath" and have read the terms of agreement. It seems very intrusive to me. What is your preferred email location and how do I switch from Yahoo? TIA.

Same here; was concentric and it morphed into sbcglobal. I would also like to get a new "whatever" it is.

I've had yahoo.com since the 1980s--same address--and see no reason to change it. There may be other hosts that are better, but I'm used to yahoo and don't want to have to notify all my contacts of a change. I am having an issue recently with it being able to work with MS Outlook reliably--I use Outlook as my mail handler and archive.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I've had yahoo.com since the 1980s--same address--and see no reason to change it. There may be other hosts that are better, but I'm used to yahoo and don't want to have to notify all my contacts of a change. I am having an issue recently with it being able to work with MS Outlook reliably--I use Outlook as my mail handler and archive.

flashguy

I wonder if we're talking about the same thing. My email address ends with: @sbcglobal.net and I go to Yahoo to access it. Does your email address end with: @yahoo.com ? If so, I think that's not what I mean. Like I said, I could be wrong about my terminology.

EDIT: "Client"; that might be the term. Yahoo is my client or I am their client to "host" my email address that is xxxx@sbcglobal.net (?) Maybe.

quote:

Originally posted by amals:

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I've had yahoo.com since the 1980s--same address--and see no reason to change it. There may be other hosts that are better, but I'm used to yahoo and don't want to have to notify all my contacts of a change. I am having an issue recently with it being able to work with MS Outlook reliably--I use Outlook as my mail handler and archive.

flashguy

I wonder if we're talking about the same thing. My email address ends with: @sbcglobal.net and I go to Yahoo to access it. Does your email address end with: @yahoo.com ? If so, I think that's not what I mean. Like I said, I could be wrong about my terminology.

EDIT: "Client"; that might be the term. Yahoo is my client or I am their client to "host" my email address that is xxxx@sbcglobal.net (?) Maybe.

Yes, my e-mail is xxxxx@yahoo.com and I guess your terminology would be that Outlook is my e-mail host and and yahoo.com would maybe be my "agent".

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by amals:

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
I've had yahoo.com since the 1980s--same address--and see no reason to change it. There may be other hosts that are better, but I'm used to yahoo and don't want to have to notify all my contacts of a change. I am having an issue recently with it being able to work with MS Outlook reliably--I use Outlook as my mail handler and archive.

flashguy

I wonder if we're talking about the same thing. My email address ends with: @sbcglobal.net and I go to Yahoo to access it. Does your email address end with: @yahoo.com ? If so, I think that's not what I mean. Like I said, I could be wrong about my terminology.

EDIT: "Client"; that might be the term. Yahoo is my client or I am their client to "host" my email address that is xxxx@sbcglobal.net (?) Maybe.

I'm very interested in the answer to this, hopefully dumbed waaay down for a luddite. I know my sbcglobal.net can be accessed through yahoo but I don't know why. I use the Mac mail program to get my sbcglobal.net mail.

Me too.

At&t which I assume includes sbcglobal contracts with Yahoo to handle their email. I'm with Uverse and the default email they assign ends with @att.net but it still handled by Yahoo. There is the ability to add other alias email and I've used @yahoo.com as well as the @att.net. Both are accessible through the same account at the Yahoo web interface and also can be set up to download to your mail client. I use Thunderbird which is a free client and part of the Mozzila (Firefox) offering. It's a solid email client with all of the features I need.

If your email is free (yahoo, hotmail, gmail) then the host is likely reading your email and selling the information.

I use reagan.com. A private email service.

The company that provides the service: the "provider" or "service"
The computer or group of computers that exchange messages with each other and the end user: the "host" or "server"
The software that implements a server: the "server software." Internet standards mandate a transport facility using SMTP for sending, and an access protocol using IMAP for reading messages. There are other techniques, but these are so small a part of the overall picture to be safe to ignore.
The software that allows the end user to read and create email messages: the "client."

Typical clients include Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, GMail, Apple Mail, etc. Note that webmail clients interact with server software the same way as stand-alone clients, they just use a browser as the user inferface. This is why you can get and send mail using pretty much any mail service with pretty much any mail client.

Oh yeah, one more definition:

The string of words to the right of the "@" sign in an email address: the "domain." This is in concept simply an identifier, but it controls which provider will be the ultimate recipient of a mail message introduced into the global email exchange community. Providers can, and do service multiple domains with the same server infrastructure.

If you are still reading, it may be interesting to realize that in-house corporate mail systems use the same technologies on their own servers (when they aren't outsourcing it to the big email providers).

Hopefully, this will provide some understanding, and allow clarity in discussing this topic.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
If your email is free (yahoo, hotmail, gmail) then the host is likely reading your email and selling the information.

I use reagan.com. A private email service.

Any provider has this option, some may not exercise this way of making money.

Far better privacy options can be obtained by running one's own mail server with one's own domain, and on your own hardware.

I’ve used fastmail.com since 2002. It’s indeed fast. The service hardly ever goes down (can’t remember the last time it did), but if it does go down, it’s quickly restored. I pay $20/year, but they have other services levels, including free.

Spam filtering is superb. They support both IMAP and POP3 download protocols. I use the simpler POP3, because I want my email stored on my laptop (and my backup disk). POP3 supports only one email client, which, for me, is AppleMail, on my laptop. But FastMail has a superb Internet interface that I use on my iPhone. Most people, seeing me use it, would think that it was an email client.

FastMail is an Australian company that does only one thing: email. But they do that one thing very well.

P. S. – FastMail also supports alias email addresses. Three, I believe, at my service level.

Thanks for the replies, especially architect for that explanation.

What brought this about was the notification by Yahoo that they have joined with Oath, and the disclaimer about what they do with my information, including reading my emails, had me wondering if I could and would switch. But it seems for a non-tech-oriented person like myself, it would be trouble I don't need. As to the privacy issue, obviously a lot of other people (who use those services)are in the same boat. I'll probably keep whistling past the graveyard on this one.

I got accounts with all of them at this point. Gmail, aol (yea aol), yahoo. Only problem with Yahoo is if you don't sign in after a while they disable the account (and delete everything). You can re-activate the account but all the emails are gone. Gmail does not do that. just logged into a gmail account I created 4 years ago and haven't logged into it in years and it still works great. My AOL account is only used as a spam magnet for online shopping.

I recommend never using your internet providers email service. If you cancel your service you loose the email. That doesn't happen with web based email services.

I use Apple; have a .mac address a long-time mac user; today it would be .icloud.com.
I am trying to divest myself of gmail accounts.
I've looked into encrypted e-mail systems such a proton, but when I did it looked like Apple's system is equally secure, and they don't sell your data to advertisers.

quote:

Originally posted by amals:
I've been getting the notice that Yahoo is now part of "Oath" and have read the terms of agreement. It seems very intrusive to me. What is your preferred email location and how do I switch from Yahoo?

I have not read terms and compared the level of seeming intrusiveness, but I expect most if not all free/included email will be about the same. I suspect you'll be wasting your time unless you're willing to use a pay service or set up your own server.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
If your email is free (yahoo, hotmail, gmail) then the host is likely reading your email and selling the information.

I use reagan.com. A private email service.

Any provider has this option, some may not exercise this way of making money.

Theoretically speaking: Any time you don't control your own hardware and software, including having it physically under your own control: Yes, this is true.

But in general terms: If you're paying for it, you're the customer. If you're not paying for it: You're the product.

E.g.: You generally pay a good deal more for Apple products, but Apple explicitly states, both in their TOS and in a simplified explanation to its customers, that your data is your data. They don't mine it. They don't sell it. They don't share it. Period.

I've divested myself of (nearly?) everything Google. I haven't shut down my Google account (yet?), but I don't use it for anything any more.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
Far better privacy options can be obtained by running one's own mail server with one's own domain, and on your own hardware.

This is true, which is why I do. But that requires IT chops that most people don't have and it requires constant vigilance. Just because you control the hardware and software, doesn't mean it cannot be compromised. (I just did a server OS update, here at home, this morning, in fact.)

A half-way option is a virtual server farm, such as operated by Digital Ocean. Still have to have the OS/mail server chops to set it up. Still requires the vigilance. But you don't need to buy, maintain or upgrade hardware. I can have a fully-configured secure mailserver, complete with web mail support, all SSL/TLS encrypted with traceable certs, up-and-running in a day or less.

But I've lost track of the number of server installs I've done over the years, so... Like I said: Not for amateurs.

For email: SBC = at&t = Yahoo! SBC morphed into at&t. (Not the other way around, as most people believe--and what SBC wanted them to believe.) Don't recall which came first, but one or the other outsourced their email services to Yahoo! years ago.