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Don't Use a gmail.com Address

crookedtimber.org

31–40 of 55 posts

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#33
post #9

I host my own email. I also have a gmail account, that I've had since the beta. I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered a person that asks for my email and then looked at me confused when it didn't end in gmail, outlook, or something, and then ask me for another email, as if only that would be good enough.

I own my own domain in the .us TLD, and I've been using it for my email for the past 20 years. When I applied for an "Electronic Travel Authorisation" (ETA) to enter Great Britain earlier this year the app flat-out rejected my email address as invalid. Usually, when that sort of thing happens, I just choose to take my business elsewhere or use my time in a different way. However it really ups the ante when a nation-s…

When it comes to nation-state I wouldn't consider this example as technical incompetence. I would bet 99% of people with personal email addresses/personal email servers will "just use my old Gmail instead". I'm pretty certain its easier for nation-state to subpoena Gmail or Yahoo, or probably use direct backdoors that don't even require official subpoena, rather than deal with your own email hosting contraption.

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#34
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true for me. All businesses of any size, and even most small businesses, that email me have their own domain. Individuals use a variety of services, and even one or two non-geeks use their own domains.

Surprise surprise : lots of companies really use gmail with a custom domain. No way to escape.

Lots do, and lots do not.

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#35
post #25
post #15

That ship has sailed. A far as most are concerned gmail is email. So that is now the reality. Google has successfully, without any resistance, assimilated email and the web. I run my own mail and I faithfully avoid chrome as much as I can but the ship is long gone over the horizon. Sad. But so it goes.

I have emails from gmail, hotmail, yahoo and my own domain. Also many browsers. I use Google stuff mostly because it works best. It's sort of how the free market is supposed to work?

Yes, largely, as long as we have all those choices, including using smaller providers and self-hosting email.

The danger is that a small number of businesses will lock others out.

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#36
post #15

That ship has sailed. A far as most are concerned gmail is email. So that is now the reality. Google has successfully, without any resistance, assimilated email and the web. I run my own mail and I faithfully avoid chrome as much as I can but the ship is long gone over the horizon. Sad. But so it goes.

When i worked in small ISP, i did some stats on customer accounts (about 2k customers) and only about 10% was @gmail.com. But it was 5 years ago and in EU.

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#37
post #9

I host my own email. I also have a gmail account, that I've had since the beta. I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered a person that asks for my email and then looked at me confused when it didn't end in gmail, outlook, or something, and then ask me for another email, as if only that would be good enough.

I get no end of confusion because mine is firstname@firstnamelastname.com. People have told me that isn’t correct.

I wonder if you'd get less confusion from me@firstnamelastname.com

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#38
post #9

I host my own email. I also have a gmail account, that I've had since the beta. I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered a person that asks for my email and then looked at me confused when it didn't end in gmail, outlook, or something, and then ask me for another email, as if only that would be good enough.

I get no end of confusion because mine is firstname@firstnamelastname.com. People have told me that isn’t correct.

I like to use yourname@myname.tld and people often are certain I'm confused. I have to promise them it will work.

Re: Don't Use a gmail.com Address

#40
post #3

Given they accept any input that presumably matches a regex it doesn’t matter which one you choose. But if you are looking for a new email provider and de-Google your life, I’m pretty with ProtonMail and their other offerings. Also moved my 2FA and Password manager to them, alongside their VPN.

I've been a proton user for a while but have always shied away from their other offerings...feels like too many eggs in one basket to use them for both email and password management (things I consider to be the most critical of all services I use). Vpn as well! Am I being paranoid? It would be nice to not pay for 3 separate services but I have kind of a blockage about it

Fair enough, I get the sentiment about not putting all eggs in 1 basket, but if your choice is between 1 ecosystem (Google / Apple / Proton), I’d argue in favour of Proton. :)
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