For a long time, i was using a local email client. Now with switching between two operating systems it is hard to synchronize the data (at least it is for me) and a hassle too.
So now i am using GMail and i need to admit that it is really good. Since it is a web based solution, it does not matter where you are, or what operating system you use. Its just there.
Of course it has its downside as well. For one, you don’t have the data on your harddrive and secondly, the provider could or does snoop through your emails. In case of Google perhaps for some nice advertisement.
But i opted for convenience for now and it is switched to secure https. So at least web related it is safe.
I do like the integration of all the tools available, thats a plus for me too.
But there are many other providers for web based email and i am sure they all work kind of the same.
Anyway, are You using web based email or are you still using a local client? And if, why or why not. It may be interesting to hear how everyone is using the email today.
Hahaha, I just had to tick option 3 :P. Actually I use both, whichever is more convenient at the moment. I fetch my mail via POPS, but because I leave the mail on the server, I can also access mail via a web client or smartphone client.
I have a hotmail account, accessed via browser, and at work I access our Zimbra server via a browser. Some of my colleagues prefer the Zimbra cleint, but also use browsers too. I have an iPhone, which connects to our mail server as well, but I don’t use that frequently.
1: email is far less important than it once was, mostly because spammers have ruined it;
2: webmail makes it easier to see the same mail from laptop and desktop.
Yes, that was what i think too.
I actually was hearing a story on the radio that even cooperations use web mail. Another app you don’t need to install.
I use a yahoo mail account as a secondary account, also have an old AOL (now aim) account, and have to check my primary account on the web, because they keep putting mail I mark as not spam in my spam folder.
I also am testing Thunderbird Daily, using it for email, text newsgroups and RSS feeds. Viewing PDF files in a new tab is a pretty neat feature, when it works.
In the first years I started using e-mail I used the web interface. But over time I got new email addresses/boxes, deleted another one etc. So I had different interfaces. Even if they’re good enough to write mail, it’s horrible to configure each of them. So I started using Thunderbird and now, since openSUSE 11.4 I use KMail. It’s great, because I can manage email stuff in one program.
I use Gmail and Yahoo but in the past i did try squirrel mail on my PC that i have turned in to a small mail server… oh memories
That was really nice to bad the ISP has port 25 blocked …
Using Gmail, but seldom accessing it through gmail.com
Like @buckesfeld says: what’s wrong with IMAP(+) ? In both Evolution on GNOME and kMail on KDE (on my laptop) I see the same folders, same messages, received and sent.
Absolutely true. But the point was to use the web instead of a client.
I actually haven’t tried to do IMAP but i’ve to guess in theory it supposed to work like that.
On 2011-12-13, DenverD <DenverD@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> On 12/10/2011 04:36 AM, JoergJaeger wrote:
>> Are you using a web based email?
>
> is there any email which is not “web based”?
Are you serious?
Eighter it’s Net-based: all of it.
… or it’s web-based: none.
Mails can be read/written by a web-based interface, but none of the
sending/receiving has any relation to a web protocol or interface.
> i guess you meant to ask about browser vs non-browser based…
Not based, but interfaced/accessed.
> but, what about gmail which i both send and receive by both thunderbird
> and firefox (or others like kmail, konqueror, alpine, opera, etc)
Even Gmail mails are send using pop/smtp/Imap, I bet.
I never could understand why use a mail client. I have used my browser since about 1999. Using a client takes up more HD space, more system resources, since you have to open up another application. I just use my browser and do a gazillion tabs. Seriously, I have about 60 tabs going at a given time.
I forgot to mention that when on Windows, it’s dangerous to use a client. You download all the junk to your computer and increase the likelyhood of getting malware.
Thats a good point. You still can infect i suppose if open an attachment. But its true, the web browser is your window to the web/world. I never realized how many things you can do in theory now (writing documents, sharing photos etc…). And all done with a web browser. The relevance of an application shrinks more and more and at one point you only need the cloud.
Whenever I can avoid it I do not use webmail. As I do encrypt my mail, using GnuPG is easy with Kmail and on the other hand, I do not trust at all the so called “service providers”. Google Mail that screens the content of mails would be for me no option. Hotmail has shown long time ago the logical mistake of the cloud. Control over data is taken from users, backups often inefficient. Substantially for me, the disadvantages of webmail largely outpace the advantages. But I am a hopless nostalgic that cares for privacy, security, reliabilty and freedom of speech. I use these services for “junk maiil” though. Whenever you need a throw away address. Comes handy.
It may be not wise to store sensitive datas on a web frontend like google mail. In my case it does not really matter. Its private but nothing thats really important. Besides for encrypted email you need two parties to make it happen. And i have none that wants to do it.
Maybe i am careless about email, but it does not have a real priority to me really.
But the point of ownership is a valid one. But thats what you give away for convinience i suppose.
