So I'm trying to sign into Hotmail and it keeps loading super slowly and then tells me the page cannot be displayed. I've seriously had enough! So many times this has happened to me when I NEED to get to my email.

Everyone has been raving about how awesome gmail is, and I'm starting to think I may want to switch it over.

My only concern is that people are still going to be emailing me at my old account. I've had that account for years. I use it for school, work...obviously social purposes.

I was thinking of sending a mass email out to everyone on my contact list, but usually when mass emails are sent out, few people pay attention.

Also, there are a lot of emails that I would like to/need to keep...as well as having a ton of contacts that I would have to re-add to my new address book.

Has anyone had experience in having to switch over their main email address to a completely new one? What do you suggest I do? Is it worth it?

One idea I sort of had...is to send out the mass email and then to keep checking my old email address for awhile, and if people continue to email me there I can just inform them personally.

Suggestions?

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Shut up and DANCE!!
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I would mass email and also put it as your msn name or something.
Keep you hotmail account open (don't cancel it) I rarely use mine but still check it periodically just in case. I usually just get junk mail in there though.

I can send you a gmail invite when I get home if you want. I love gmail - so much better than hotmail (except it's blocked at work)

Also, I'm not sure if Hotmail has this feature, but if you can, set it up so that whenever someone emails your hotmail account, it sends out an automatic reply - then within that reply, just say what your new gmail address is.

Hope that helps

Oh and if you're really worried people won't pay attention to your mass email cause they see a bunch of email addresses - then put everyone's email address in the BCC field. That way people only see their name as the recipient.

i did this a while back, you can also download all your hotmail contacts in a .csv file, and then upload them into gmail.

gmail rules - switch, may be odd at first, but you wont regret it.

bah.. well hotmail USED to have an option to fwd incoming mail to another email account.. looks like they've removed that functionality..

you could always setup Outlook Express to receive your hotmail, and setup a mail rule to forward all mail received to your new account. then you'd just need to open OE like once a day to receive new mail to your gmail account.

another idea in the interim.. if you are still using ur hotmail, go into options -> mail options and set the reply-to address to your new gmail account.

you know where to find me if you need help with any of this sweety.

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jimmy alliance!

rave!

I knew you'd come around sooner or later.

Haaaahahah welcome to the Gmail army. Hell you've had that thing for months now...

quote:

Originally posted by joinT you could always setup Outlook Express to receive your hotmail, and setup a mail rule to forward all mail received to your new account. then you'd just need to open OE like once a day to receive new mail to your gmail account.

you can only do this as a paying Hotmail customer, unless you were a Hotmail + Outlook Express user before they instituted that rule.

Here's what I would do:

1. Pay $20 to become a paying Hotmail customer, and configure your Hotmail through Mozilla Thunderbird (MUCH better than Outlook Express).

2. Then, configure your GMail in Thunderbird.

3. Send a message to everyone with your new e-mail address.

4. Go to all websites that you signed up with your old e-mail address (good luck), and change to a yahoo address that you will only use for this reason.

5. Monitor your Hotmail for the next year (yeah, I agree, this sucks) for senders that still use it that you need to inform of the new address.

You'll be very thankful in a few years that you chose this route.

Fucking DO IT, Lisa!

I switch PERMENTALLY last winter, bc I was FED UP with Hotmail.

I had used Gmail before that, but decided, nah, it's not worth the change, so I stuck it out w/ hotmail, until last Jan. or Feb. I finally got so fed up I just switched over and didn't look back!

AND THANK JESUS! I LOVE MY GMAIL ACCOUNT! It's heaven to use. So simple, so functional, so practical! Just so nice.

You'll not regret it. Just kinda sorta monitor your other hotmail account till you find most ppl just email there. Its a pain to get ppl using ur new one, but whut else can you do? Fais-le!

I NEVER check mine now. If ppl msg me at my hotmail, they're not getting a response!

Jem

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quote:

Originally posted by DigitalMP you can only do this as a paying Hotmail customer, unless you were a Hotmail + Outlook Express user before they instituted that rule.

ah.. boourns.. hotmail blows..

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jimmy alliance!

quote:

Originally posted by joinT ah.. boourns.. hotmail blows..

freakin tell me about it. i've had my hotmail address since 99, and i plan to make the switch soon, and it's not going to be any sort of a picnic.

quote:

Originally posted by DigitalMP freakin tell me about it. i've had my hotmail address since 99, and i plan to make the switch soon, and it's not going to be any sort of a picnic.

i cut off the email from my hotmail account years ago.. too much spamola..

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jimmy alliance!