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General discussion (archive)Good e-mail (besides G-Mail) recommendations(41 posts)(41 posts)
(41 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted March 18, 2012
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orcishgamer: This is the new policy. All information from all Google services is now tied together, if you're still logged into GMail they're tracking you FaceBook style across all their services now.

Given how pervasive Google Analytics is (and if you don't believe it's in 95% of websites you visit, use Ghostery in Firefox for a week) they may be able to track you across the entire internet now, with 100% more consent now.
Thanks.

I have Google Analytics blocked, thanks to IE's TPLs. If YouTube didn't have something to do with Google, I'd have blocked everything Google related.
Posted March 18, 2012
Hotmail has worked great for me for years, but then I haven't really made much comparison to other free email accounts (e.g. ease of use etc.).

I practically never get spam email anymore to my Hotmail inbox, and neither do I see valid emails going to trashbin anymore, so from my point of view it seems to work pretty much perfectly.

Sometime in the past I remember it was too happy to put valid emails to trash, thinking automatically they are spam at least if there are many recipients besides me, so I had to check the trashbin quite often for those mails. But I don't seem to have this issue anymore either.
Post edited March 18, 2012 by timppu
Posted March 18, 2012
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orcishgamer: Ironically hotmail actually has some of the highest ratings right now for free. Or for 30 bucks a year you can pay for email (for that you can get encryption capabilities built into your webmail if you want). If you really want free, hotmail is supposed to be just about the best right now, right alongside gmail.
This is surprisingly true I find myself using hotmail again after swearing never to use it again >.<
Posted March 18, 2012
Hotmail is actually way larger than Gmail in its user base, and in the latest months it improved a lot....
Posted March 18, 2012
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kavazovangel: Can somebody confirm / deny?
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orcishgamer: This is the new policy. All information from all Google services is now tied together, if you're still logged into GMail they're tracking you FaceBook style across all their services now.

Given how pervasive Google Analytics is (and if you don't believe it's in 95% of websites you visit, use Ghostery in Firefox for a week) they may be able to track you across the entire internet now, with 100% more consent now.
Yes, this is "stupid idea" of Google. Simple solution is to use NoScript, for example.
Posted March 18, 2012
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michaelleung: G+ is just the whole social thing that Google unifies into your Google Account. You don't need it if you don't want it. Here's a link on how to disable social features in Google
THANK YOU!
Posted March 18, 2012
I know others recommend Hotmail, but I'm not sure I would. It still has a few hiccups and the connectivity isn't always reliable. Sometimes it takes so long for it to send an email that you aren't sure it will go through. The spam filters are good, but not perfect, but then which one is?

Hotmail pushes Messenger some (not much) and I believe my wife (the one who uses it) was pushed into getting a Live profile, which might not be what you want if you're avoiding G+, but then the Live profile can be made private and you pretty much don't have to worry about it again, to my knowledge at least.


I also vouch for fastmail. I have used it for awhile and like it. It's spam filters aren't always perfect either. I still get the occasional spam (once a month maybe) on an email that I have fairly out in the open on the internet. The web interface is nice, even if there are a few small things I'd change. You can also use it with an email client. Also, FastCheck is a nice little program to use with it to get instant notifications on your desktop.


EDIT: Ha! The Hotmail account got another winning notification email! Yes!
Post edited March 18, 2012 by adambiser
Posted March 18, 2012
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adambiser: I know others recommend Hotmail, but I'm not sure I would. It still has a few hiccups and the connectivity isn't always reliable. Sometimes it takes so long for it to send an email that you aren't sure it will go through. The spam filters are good, but not perfect, but then which one is?

Hotmail pushes Messenger some (not much) and I believe my wife (the one who uses it) was pushed into getting a Live profile, which might not be what you want if you're avoiding G+, but then the Live profile can be made private and you pretty much don't have to worry about it again, to my knowledge at least.


I also vouch for fastmail. I have used it for awhile and like it. It's spam filters aren't always perfect either. I still get the occasional spam (once a month maybe) on an email that I have fairly out in the open on the internet. The web interface is nice, even if there are a few small things I'd change. You can also use it with an email client. Also, FastCheck is a nice little program to use with it to get instant notifications on your desktop.


EDIT: Ha! The Hotmail account got another winning notification email! Yes!
The Live profile thing is disabled by default, I think there's a little link of encouragement to use it at the top but they don't seem to hound you about it. Technically MSN messanger and all those services all tie into a social profile, it's just very easily ignored (and has the defaults of not showing anything to anyone, not that there's anything to show provided you don't fill anything out).
Posted March 18, 2012
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orcishgamer: The Live profile thing is disabled by default, I think there's a little link of encouragement to use it at the top but they don't seem to hound you about it. Technically MSN messanger and all those services all tie into a social profile, it's just very easily ignored (and has the defaults of not showing anything to anyone, not that there's anything to show provided you don't fill anything out).
That is basically been what we did and their encouragement is basically "how 'bout trying this out?" which is pretty ignorable. But I do remember making the Live profile private because it was there automatically and that was something we didn't want at all ever and we figured better safe than sorry.

I have nothing to compare to because I don't feel like I've been hounded into joining G+ either at least not that I've noticed, which I guess if I don't notice it, it can't really hounding. But then, I never use the gmail web interface, so maybe that's why. Not sure.
Posted March 18, 2012
So how can one disable Google Analytics?
Posted March 18, 2012
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Fifeldor: So how can one disable Google Analytics?
I use AdBlock Plus with a subscription to EasyList, which might not be perfect, but at least helps. I just noticed they also have an EasyPrivacy list, so I just now added it to see how it does. This list is supposed to be against tracking. EasyList is more for visual ads.

Wait for someone else to add more to this. Don't trust my opinion alone, because this is not something I've researched to any great degree.
Posted March 18, 2012
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Fifeldor: So how can one disable Google Analytics?
Tracking Protection Lists, if you're using IE9 / IE10. I think I have over hundred items blocked in my own list.

You'd be surprised how many of those are from Facebook, Ads services, Google, Twitter, Disquss and similar services.

Google tops the list, followed by Facebook and their share this, like this crap.
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Post edited March 18, 2012 by kavazovangel
Posted March 18, 2012
I've used yahoo for almost a decade now.

The email service itself is pretty reliable, but the browser client is getting heavier and heavier (they now have a chat built into it... as if I want all my buddies to request a chat session while I check my emails).

Some of the features are cool (like the ability to put contact information or auto-complete feature for the addresses, filter capabilities to sort your incoming emails by folder, ability to forward your emails to another address, ability to use a sign-in seal to protect against phishing attempts, etc), but for all I know, most emails have it now.

I gotta say that it was a cool a few years back when they had aggressively expanded inbox size while hotmail users were still stuck with a measly 4MB.

What makes the difference for me? I've had the bloody email address for almost a decade and I'm familiar with the interface. That's it.

Otherwise, I suspect that most of those free browser email services are getting more and more similar by the day.
Post edited March 18, 2012 by Magnitus
Posted March 18, 2012
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Fifeldor: So how can one disable Google Analytics?
On Firefox you can use NoScript (and put it in the Always Deny list) and/or Ghostery, Ghostery is probably an easier extension to use. NoScript is probably generally better for you if you're willing to surf the web that way (i.e. you have to play, "guess which scripts make the features I want on this site actually work"), especially on multimedia sites it's a pain at first, you get pretty used to it.

Ghostery, though, it's a cinch, definitely use it.

EDIT: I forgot to say, of course you can use both in conjunction.

EDIT EDIT: That Facebook "Like" button that shows up everwhere (and the Login button) actually is capable of tracking you if you're still logged into Facebook on the same browser, be aware of that too. You don't have to click it for it to track you, the mere fact your browser loaded it in the way Facebook asks sites to load it is enough.
Post edited March 18, 2012 by orcishgamer
Posted March 18, 2012
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Fifeldor: So how can one disable Google Analytics?
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orcishgamer: On Firefox you can use NoScript (and put it in the Always Deny list) and/or Ghostery, Ghostery is probably an easier extension to use. NoScript is probably generally better for you if you're willing to surf the web that way (i.e. you have to play, "guess which scripts make the features I want on this site actually work"), especially on multimedia sites it's a pain at first, you get pretty used to it.

Ghostery, though, it's a cinch, definitely use it.

EDIT: I forgot to say, of course you can use both in conjunction.
If you need to use work arounds to get the email experience that you want, it's probably time to give your provider the finger and jump ship.

There are plenty of alternatives out there.
Post edited March 18, 2012 by Magnitus
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)Good e-mail (besides G-Mail) recommendations(41 posts)(41 posts)
(41 posts)