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Do You Delete Old Email Addresses?

GeekSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:14:21 -0800

I have finally gotten used to the weekly, "Did you get my email?" phone calls from my mother. Predictably, every Sunday around late afternoon, she calls to tell me about something cute my nieces have done, or fill me in on the latest gossip about someone I went to high school with. "I wrote this in an email, didn't you read it?" she'd say. Of course, I had never received the email, and just assumed my less-than-tech-savvy mother was doing something wrong. This time though, I asked a question that I don't normally ask: "What email address are you sending it to?" She rattled off an address I hadn't even thought about for at least a year. Oops.

I logged into the old account and, lo and behold, amid a ton of spam in my inbox were a bunch of emails from Mom.

Most of you leave old social networking profiles online even if you don't use them, but what about old email addresses? Do you close old accounts when you open a new one?

New Gmail Lab: Got the Wrong Bob? And Four Other Sanity-Saving Labs

GeekSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:33:07 -0700

Google recently released Got the Wrong Bob?, a new Gmail labs feature that suggests alternate recipients when sending an email to a group. It's not foolproof and only works when you're sending a message to multiple recipients, but it'll keep you from firing off a rant about your boyfriend to all of your best friends, and accidentally including, say, his mother. Sure, I'd love to have the time to triple-check each and every email, but it's not a realistic option. This lab, and the four that follow, are definite sanity-saving greatest hits.

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Can Email Ever Be Replaced?

GeekSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:33:47 -0700

I'll admit, I'm guilty of notifying friends and family of what's happening in my life via Twitter and Facebook, instead of taking the time to send an email. And it seems a lot of friends are doing the same thing - a personalized email from a good friend is becoming more and more of a special treat.

Not surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal is boldly saying that email is on its way out. Their justification:

In its place, a new generation of services is starting to take hold-services like Twitter and Facebook and countless others vying for a piece of the new world. And just as email did more than a decade ago, this shift promises to profoundly rewrite the way we communicate-in ways we can only begin to imagine.

The article cites constant streams of information in real-time, gathered via services like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Wave, is starting to replace email. It also asserts that email was better the way we used to use the Internet - logging on and checking it from time to time. What do you think? Do you ever see real-time updates replacing email?

Tech Dating 101: Is It OK to Just Give Him My Twitter Name?

GeekSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:40:08 -0700

Have you heard a story like this? A good friend of mine met a great guy in a crowded bar, and barely had the chance to talk to him before the people she came with wanted to leave. As they parted ways and he hurriedly asked her, "Can I call you sometime?" she (now famously) shouted across the bar, "Direct message me on Twitter!"

While I'm happy to report that after several direct messages and dates, they're still together, her situation raises an interesting point: when you meet someone new, is it OK to give them only your Twitter name instead of phone number? Or, for that matter, is it OK to give them only your email address, Facebook name, or anything besides your phone number? While some might find it impersonal, what if that's your preferred method of communication? That's what I'll tackle in this week's edition of Tech Dating 101. To find out what I suggest doing, read more.

One of the benefits of online profiles and networking sites is that you can control how you're perceived by others. If Twitter (or Facebook, or even email) is your preferred method of communication, it's fine to give that info before your number. Plus, there's always the chance that he's going to find you on Facebook anyhow, so offering up your Twitter username or inviting him to find you on Facebook is a good way to take control of the situation! Just be sure and keep a healthy mix of communication; otherwise you may find he acts differently online than in person.

One note of caution, ask yourself why you're hesitant to give out your number. If the answer is "I'm not a phone person" that's fine, but do you really want a Twitter or Facebook message instead if you don't want a call. Asking him to find or contact you online is fine, but make sure it's not because you're hiding behind your profile.

Do you have a Love 2.0 questioned you want answered? Join the Tech Dating 101 because we understand that love and dating are stressful, and the Internet and social networking sites can just make things worse. You never know, your question could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Do You Use an Email Signature? What Does It Say?

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:40:03 -0700

This morning I was making plans with friends via email, and after reading through our short exchange, I realized I was the only one not to include an email signature. At work, I use a signature that includes my name, title, and email address. I don't include one in my personal email at all (which according to this post on decoding email signatures, makes me cool). Conversely, one of my friends has a super-thorough email signature including full contact information - address, phone number, email - plus her Twitter username, instant message contact information, and link to her Flickr page.

Do you use a signature on your work emails? Personal emails? What does it say?

Do You Use Facebook More Than Email to Stay In Contact?

GeekSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:25:45 -0700

I'm guessing that since you're reading this site, you're on some sort of social networking site (more specifically Facebook), and probably check a few times a day (or if you're like me, checking it all the time via a mobile app). Facebook, as well as other social networking sites, provide a great way to keep in touch with people. So much so that social networking may be edging out email as a way to keep in touch with friends and family.

Time spent on Facebook is up 88 percent from five years ago, while email usage dropped by 41 percent in the same amount of time. It makes sense - I mean, even grandmas use Facebook! Do you use Facebook or other social networking sites now more than email to stay in contact with friends and family?

Tech Dating 101: My Boyfriend Is All Up in My Virtual Business

GeekSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:09:47 -0700

In this installment of Tech Dating 101, we're discussing virtual boundaries. Whether you've been dating your significant other for one week or five years, we all have our personal boundaries. For example, I don't pee with the bathroom door open, and I certainly don't read my boyfriend's emails. See? Boundaries. But what if your SO goes beyond your comfort zone and crosses the line by "accidentally" reading line after line of email, or checking in on your Facebook messages? Before you have a cow, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you've ever laid down the law on where your virtual lines are drawn.

If you haven't, then now is the time to have the talk. Let him know that although you feel close to him and don't mind sharing a bed, you don't want to share email addresses, and politely (and even humorously) tell him to butt out of your accounts. If this is the first offense, I wouldn't make it a big deal but if the behavior continues, you may have a bona fide snooper on your hands.

To see how I'd handle an online busybody, just read more.

If this is a reoccurring event for your online peeping Tom, then you need to be firm and direct. Snooping in your email and online networks is just as bad as opening your snail mail - although it's not a federal offense, it's just as intrusive. But trust could be the root of the problem here. If your BF doesn't trust you, it's likely that email correspondence would be the first place to find out if you've been naughty or nice. Find out why he's snooping around your online life, and you'll have an easier time figuring out how to remedy the problem.

If you have no reason to be considered untrustworthy, this could end up being a losing battle, especially if your partner has a history of being the victim of infidelity. Talk it out, and if you can't come to a common ground, then it may be time for you to weigh the pros and cons of living with a snoop.

Is Google Wave the Wave of the Future?

GeekSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:45:35 -0700

Watch out, Bing, a Google announcement has just taken over: Google Wave. Revealed at Google's developer conference in San Francisco, I/O, Google Wave is new "personal communication and collaboration tool" ambitiously described as "what email would be like if it were invented right now."

Combining email and instant messaging (to put it really simply), Wave wants to change how we communicate - on the Internet and beyond. If you want to watch the presentation of the developer preview given at I/O yesterday, check it out below.

Available later this year, you can sign up (yes please) to be notified when it comes out.

Gmail Makes Switching Easy With New Mail and Contact Import

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:40:12 -0700

There are many reasons why Gmail is the best free email service on the Internet, but I'll save my diatribe about that for another day. If you were already thinking of switching to Google's email, they've just rolled out a new feature that automatically imports all your mail and contacts from your old email account - be it Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and more, into your spankin' new Gmail account, no complicated extra steps necessary.

They're even letting you forward your old mail into your new Gmail account for 30 days, so you can test out Gmail and start replying to those emails with your new address.

I have a couple of friends who I've been trying to convert to Gmail for years, and this news renders their excuses totally invalid.

Website of the Day: Nutshell Mail

GeekSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:00:24 -0700

Over the years, I've signed up for a ton of social networks (it goes with the territory), some of which I use on the daily, some that I don't.

So for the ones I do use every day (like Facebook and Twitter), wouldn't it be nice to get a snapshot of the day's activity in one single email? You bet it would! Enter Nutshell Mail.

Not only does Nutshell Mail consolidate all of your social network updates, but it lumps all of your emails from different accounts (like, say if you used Gmail full time, but also have an MSN and Yahoo account you use only sometimes) into the snapshot, so you get an overview without having to log into anything except your main email account. You then have the option of forwarding selected messages to your main email, still, never leaving your inbox.

Found a cool website you'd like to share? To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!