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Computers-Phones-E-mail-etc-Trials by Fire it seems

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Old-RV'er

RVF Expert
Joined
Feb 23, 2020
Messages
500
Location
Blairsville, GA
RV Year
2019
RV Make
Newmar
RV Model
Ventana 3407
RV Length
34'10"
TOW/TOAD
2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited
Fulltimer
No
All, over the past months (sticks and bricks) and while traveling in RV, I was inundated with spam. Yes, I had "the free Microsoft account" which I have used for 15/20 years. It was entrenched in my psyche, this account, like a good shirt, or favorite mug. In the last few years, the spam had been getting worse, to the point I was getting at least 100 or more daily. If you are the least tech savvy, Kim Komando routinely touts a paid mail service (29.99 annually) called startmail.com. Finally, (yes-could buy spam blocker program-but to me that is-just buying more tech to fight tech), which I have too much of now. I signed up for the 7-day trial, and let it activate. I use MS outlook, and by accident deleted my old MS account. Well, configuring the new mail account in outlook is not a bundle of joy. Because the servers are in the Dutch area, the syncing of the account take a while, not a problem really. But because I accidently deleted MS account, lost all my contacts, so before I lost them completely, made text file of them all. Slowly having to recreate the folders and put those names back in by hand, not pleasant. But, to date, about 15 days, have not gotten one spam period. Resetting up accounts at places is also taking a while, but I try to do 20 or so daily, so in day or so will be done. I do not do any mail functions on phone; a phone is just a phone. So don't know if this will help you. However, there is a down side. almost any website, or forums, (like this one), needs to have e-mail updated, some require 2-factor setup, again fine by me. Any Microsoft based service, office, or any website they operate, will need special handling because if you do not have an account at MS, getting it to work is problematic. MS Edge, (windows 10/11) is also quarrelsome, because it wants a MS account to save all your settings too. Just about to take edge off PC and use Firefox as main one, security is better anyway have been told. Also, was Windows insider member, so hopped on bandwagon for Windows 11, DO NOT DO THIS, it has lots of bugs still, even though been released to masses, folder being created out of thin air, printers just being deleted, and easy things used in W10, not nearly as easy in W11. It's however, a pure 64-bit OS, so the file path names are less troublesome, and it's somewhat faster if you have the hardware to take use of it.

So, if spam is driving you nuts, you can investigate startmail and see it it's something you want to do. The older I get, the harder it is to make all this stuff work, and I was computer specialist in my "real job", times they have changed. And I get it, some people want big tech broken up, with this evolution almost behind me, I would vote yes to that. They have deep files on you, and what you do, as spam was always targeted at my browsing (home products), and my Flight Simming hobby. Yes, on phone (consumer cellular) get spam calls, and the odd text, but nothing like the MS mail account. To date, cannot get into some MS websites, and it took over day to activate my MS office install. But I do not recommend Thunderbird, as its way to complicated to get working for this old fellow. I was able to get outlook to cooperate, but there are still issues in it too.
 
For what it's worth, I almost never see spam in my Gmail inbox. I occasionally remember to look in the spam folder and even more occasionally see a false positive but never anything important. I'm aware that some people don't like to use Gmail for several reasons which is a different topic I guess but for me, spam is pretty much a distant memory from years ago.

That said, I have heard good things about StartMail. If I was starting again, I'd definitely consider it.
 

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