Both Comcast ([email protected]) and Verizon ([email protected]) email systems have been having some troubles over the last few months. Spammers were using their email systems to send out spam so they both had to make their email servers more secure. They each have sent a message to their customers with instructions on how to update the email settings in email programs such as Apple Mail, Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, etc. (If you use webmail, if you go to a website to read your email, then these changes do not affect you.). If you are having any email troubles and I have not already made the changes for you and you would like to try and do it on your own, here are the settings you will need and a link to the instructions:

Which brings up the topic of basic vs. advanced email. Twenty years ago when email started for the general public we were all lucky to own just one computer. Our email came to that one computer and we read, replied and deleted email on that computer. We did all that with not much thought to the underlining email system. When we signed up for Internet service with AOL ([email protected]), Comcast ([email protected]), Verizon ([email protected]) or Qwest ([email protected] and [email protected]), without thinking about it, we just started using their email system.

  

Today we may own multiple computers, smartphones and tablets that can all do email. So today most of us need a way to synchronize email across multiple devices so if we read an email on one device it shows as read on the other devices. If we delete an email on our smartphone when away from home we might not want to have to delete it a second and third time. This is advanced email that is synchronized.  If you do something on one device that action shows up on the other devices.

 

For advanced email I recommend @gmail.com. It is the email system from Google. It is a free email system that has the most advanced features. But it is not the only game in town. Apple has @icloud.com (the old @mac.com and @me.com) and Microsoft has @outlook.com (the old @hotmail.com, @live.com and @msn.com). Both of these email systems are advanced systems also (but both Apple and Microsoft have gone through name changes trying to land on an identity, and Google has not). 

 

Google email: www.gmail.com   (email addresses end with @gmail.com)

 

Microsoft email: www.outlook.com  (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, @msn.com)

 

Apple email:  www.icloud.com  (@icloud.com, @me.com, @mac.com)

 

 

Lastly, another good reason to switch away from a Comcast, Verizon or Qwest email address is that if you switch Internet service providers someday you will be forced to give up that address anyway. So you might as well do it now and start getting the benefits of advanced email systems. It is not really that hard to switch email systems. You just have to get used to the idea of changing your email address with all your contacts. And don't forget, we can simply forward your old email address to your new email address so any emails from stragglers, who fail to update their address books, will not be lost.