We’ve talked recently about email on a “global” scale. Now let’s get “up close and personal” with your email, and look at some ways to make your email experience more efficient. Getting more email and enjoying it less? Here’s some helpful hints.

Remember there are three elements that come together every time you send and receive email. First, the computer you use to send and receive email. Secondly, there’s the entity that provides your email address and their mail server computers through which your outgoing and incoming email is routed, and on which it is stored. Thirdly, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) through which you access the internet. Note that virtually every ISP offers email service, but not all purveyors of email service (like Yahoo!Mail) are ISPs.

Most people get their email address one of three ways: the email address supplied by their ISP (like jill@suscom-maine.net); a “free” or subscription email account from a non-ISP like Yahoo!Mail or .Mac; or an email address from their place of business or office. Whomever you get your email from, you obviously have to find a way to read it, sort it, filter spam from it, store it, and delete it.

There are basically two ways to access email: with a web browser, or with a dedicated email application like Outlook Express or Eudora. There are advantages and disadvantages to both schemes. If you’re a “casual email user” you might find browser-based access to be right for you. If you’re a real “power-mailer”, you may prefer the email application road. Which one is right for you? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of each.

“Free” services. Sure, email services like Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail are technically “free”. However, since Yahoo is not an ISP, you still have to be paying someone for your internet access, right? Why not use the email account provided by your ISP.

Just for grins, I signed up for a “free” email account at Yahoo!Mail. No, I’m not going to give you my email address. Anyway, signing up was easy, although I did notice they needed another of my email addresses to verify my identity. Hmmm. I wonder how long before that email address starts to receive their advertising? I also noticed that you can sign up for an account, get all excited about sending and receiving email, and miss some stuff that will cause you some heartaches later.

For example, at the top of each page there’s a link to “My Account” – a page summarizing your account information. Under your Member Information is a link to “Edit your marketing preferences”. Ah, marketing. Perhaps Yahoo!Mail isn’t as “free” as you think. Sure enough, from the second you sign up until you eventually discover this page, you have, by default, agreed to receive “Special offers from selected 3rd parties delivered by Yahoo” and offers in some thirteen different categories of advertising ranging from “special offers, online sales, and shopping tips” to “entertainment, games, and sports”, and everything in between. You’ve said, “Here’s my new mail box - fill it up with advertising”.

I immediately went right back to this page and turned “OFF” all of the automatic advertising preferences I could find. Alas, none of the changes I made take place for TEN business days – more than enough time to fill my new email box with lower loan rates and increased virility.

Speaking of advertising, there’s lots of it in Yahoo!Mail. From subtle ads in the email menubar, to huge animated ads that spring up every time you click anything. I guess my Dad was right – there’s no free lunch.

© 2004 Peter F. Zimowski