Doesn't anybody use internet provider email addresses anymore?

[Luminatic]

Hi,

The big Microsoft/Google/Gmail ... discussions on the net made me wonder:

Am I really the only one that uses the email address that my internet provider gave me for emailig? For example, I do have a hotmail address for WP8 syncing and so on, I also have an ancient yahoo address that I use for forum and site subscriptions, but I would never, ever dream of, say, applying for a job with any other address then my "official" email address from my internet provider.

Am I old-fashioned? A minority?

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Given how I use a variation of my name with a number after it for my Outlook email. As in my first and middle initials followed by my surname then a 1 then @outlook.com I don't see an issue applying for things with that. In fact that is more professional than my internet provider email.

 

[gedzum]

I still have my AOL email that I use sometimes, although they're not my provider anymore. Some accounts are tied that address and I haven't really been bothered to change it. Currently with Sky broadband, but I don't use that email.

 

[jdevenberg]

I feel exactly the opposite as you. I feel that the provider addresses are one of the least professional looking addresses you can use and wouldn't dream of using on an application or anything I wanted to appear professional. When I see someone who uses a provider email address, I automatically make the assumption that they aren't very tech saavy, and therefore don't realize how much better Gmail, Outlook/Live/Hotmail, etc are or want to switch but don't know how to set up forwarding and don't want to check two emails. Maybe I'm shallow, but if I were interviewing people for a position, especially anything that required lots of computer use, had two finalists, and all else was equal, but one had a provider email and one had a nonprovider email, I'd guess that the one with the outlook/gmail/etc. address was slightly more technology saavy and it could be the deciding factor. My inlaws both have Windows Phone and both use Comcast.net emails as their primary email, but they don't like how it doesn't support push email (both came from BB Curves) and don't like how their contacts and calanders don't sync like my wife and mine do, and don't understand that Outlook (the program) isn't their email provider (this caused me a HUGE headache when setting up their phones, because when I asked who they used for email, they said Outlook, so I was trying to set up their accounts as Outlook acounts when they needed to be set up as POP or IMAP). So maybe that is why I feel provider email users are generally less tech saavy than users of other providers.

 

[920Walker]

Some of the best people I've ever worked with were those who could barely use a computer.

 

[jaimeastin]

Never. Ever. Use. ISP email addresses. Lol!

Professional wise, a quality custom domain is best... Gmail or Outlook emails next as well as rarely used geeky ones that are great but not mainstream...

I guess I just can't really do business with someone with an ISP email or freebie like all, hotmail, live, etc. And dog gone, use your name and not a nickname or so...

Sorry... Looks like I just ranted and got off topic... I personally font like to use ISP email addresses because I am not married to them. I may leave anytime. I am tired of helping people move their emails from one to another.

As google slowly kills their service for windows I will be putting them down as well... Just time to use my own mail server.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Now I am fortunate that I also have access to a personal email but unfortunately it is only pop3. Which I despise with such passion I would love to go Killing Ground on it! IMAP I can tolerate, but not the POS that is POP3.

 

[HeyCori]

Most ISP provided email addresses are bland, featureless, and buggy.

 

[jdevenberg]

Some of the best people I've ever worked with were those who could barely use a computer.

I did qualify that it would be more likely to be a deciding factor in a job that required lots of computer use.


I agree with most of the negative sentiment about ISP emails. They are bland, lack features, require POP3, and are just generally not as good as any of their competition. I suppose they'd work great as a general sign up email. Use it to sign up for things that require an email address but you don't actually want the emails from.

 

[stmav]

My wife and I use our isp e-mail for bills and exchanges with family members. It's easier to keep in one spot that either of us can check. For everything else we use our separate hotmail accounts.

I will disagree on the use of personal isp for applications. I was told by several recruiters that they and hr offices prefer to see that as opposed to at hotmail or gmail account. That it's not as professional looking. Though I think those views could be changed. I use a isp for resumes and I'm an MSCA in Exchange so I do know a bit about how e-mail works as well as very tech savvy.

 

[aubreyq]

I've had Verizon FIOS for almost 18 months and haven't used their email. Granted, when I go to Verizon's website and log on to view my bill or remotely schedule a TV recording, I can see my Inbox there, but all it has are notices such as changes of Terms and Conditions, etc. The main email that I use is Yahoo Mail.

 

[Reflexx]

I haven't used an ISP email since I had my old @worldnet.att.net email.

It's too much trouble and inconvenience. I don't want to change my email every time I decide to change my ISP.

 

[aubreyq]

I don't want to change my email every time I decide to change my ISP.

That's probably the main reason why most people don't use it.

 

[WPmunkey]

I haven't used an ISP email since I had my old @worldnet.att.net email.

It's too much trouble and inconvenience. I don't want to change my email every time I decide to change my ISP.

That's it. It's like the old days when the phone companies could hold your number hostage if you try to leave them.

Not only that but ISP email often lacks the advanced features and simplicity of free email addresses like Gmail or Outlook

 

[Laura Knotek]

That's it. It's like the old days when the phone companies could hold your number hostage if you try to leave them.

Not only that but ISP email often lacks the advanced features and simplicity of free email addresses like Gmail or Outlook

Most ISPs provide POP3 accounts only. Who wants to have his/her smartphone check for new emails every 15 minutes instead of being push?

 

[Luminatic]

Wow, I must be really old-fashioned then. ;-). Also, I don't mind if my phone checks my mails every 15 minutes ... Can't imagine what I would gain with getting a mail a bit earlier as I do not have the time or the mood to read every mail immediately. Like in the past, waiting half a day for a printout was a non-issue. Jesus, I feel really old now, asking myself why everybody thinks faster = better! ;-) (I do like my new superfast internet connection, though.)

And to be honest, I've never spent much time comparing email protocols.

I do understand that it is easier to keep a free mail account longer as you're less tied to an ISP, and I must admit that one reason why I only use free mail accounts for subscriptions and syncing is that in the past, free mail accounts were seen as less professional. This might have changed, bur you know how it is - one can develop the tendency to get stuck in the old ways when getting older.

I would't say I'm not tech savvy, "temporarly tech lazy" is a better description. With 42 per week working in IT, I don't feel like spending lot of my free time with even more IT subjects as I need non-IT related things to keep me balanced - except if a specific issue tickles my curiosity. And so far, the issue of questioning using the ISP address vs. Free mail addresses has just not popped up in my brain until now. I might do something about it or not, depending on the importance of many other things on my check list.

Thanks for your input,all!