Goodbye Gmail

I've had a Gmail email account for some time and was using it for this blog, but frankly it has not been offering me much value over my normal email accounts, so I have decided that I'll stop using the Gmail account. I'll continue to keep it in my Outlook Express list of accounts to read for incoming email, but I won't be displaying it or otherwise using it. For this blog, I'll be using my "Global Opinions/Commentary" email address, Jack@Opixia.com.

I have four web sites and have an email account for each:

• BaseTechnology.com Jack@BaseTechnology.com - my old software business
• Agtivity.com Jack@Agtivity.com - my research interests in software agent technology
• Finaxyz.com Jack@Finaxyz.com - my economics, finance, and stock market commentary
• Opixia.com Jack@Opixia.com - my global commentary/opinions

I had been using my "business" email address (Jack@BaseTechnology.com) as my main email address for many years, but since my business is now in hibernation due to my full time employment at Microsoft as of May, I have been shifting over to using Jack@Opixia.com unless the subject matter relates specifically to one of my other web sites.

I also have an email address with my ISP (MSN), but I never use it or give it out. I do have to use it for sending email since most ISPs implement Port 25 "blocking" which prevents me from using the SMTP services that my web site hosting services offer.

I certainly can understand people using Gmail as an alternative to using their ISP email address, but since I have other email options at my fingertips, Gmail has significantly less value to me.

I also have an email address at Microsoft, but I try very hard to use it only for company business.

-- Jack Krupansky